A large fire that sent flames and thick smoke billowing into the night sky over Mijas has been brought under control after an overnight operation involving firefighters, police and specialist wildfire crews.
The blaze broke out late on Sunday in an area between Puebla Campana and La Sierrezuela, prompting a major emergency response and alarming residents who watched huge flames illuminate the skyline.
Images shared online showed a towering column of smoke rising above the Costa del Sol as the fire burned through an area of dry vegetation.
Despite the dramatic scenes, authorities confirmed that no homes were threatened and no evacuations were necessary.
Mijas firefighters managed to contain the blaze overnight and on Monday morning remained at the scene carrying out cooling operations to prevent any flare-ups.
According to Mijas Town Hall, the fire affected an area of dry grass and scrubland but did not result in any injuries or damage to nearby residential developments.
Local Police officers carried out inspections throughout the surrounding urbanisations to ensure residents remained safe while emergency crews worked to bring the situation under control.
As the scale of the fire became apparent, Andalucia’s specialist wildfire service INFOCA was called in shortly after 1am to reinforce local crews.
The regional emergency service deployed a fire engine and a team of forest firefighters to assist municipal firefighters already working alongside Local Police and the Guardia Civil.
Officials said the use of INFOCA resources is standard practice in so-called urban-forest interface fires, where vegetation burns close to residential areas and specialist wildfire expertise may be required.
The cause of the fire has not yet been announced.
Authorities praised the rapid response of emergency services, which ensured the blaze was contained without any reported injuries or evacuations.
While the fire created spectacular scenes visible from across parts of Mijas and Fuengirola, officials stressed that residents were never considered to be at risk.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
