The forest fire which broke out in Murcia’s Fuente Alamo on Thursday has been stabilised.

The flames took hold between Fuente Alamo and Mazarron, with walls of fire visible from the homes of British expats.

People living in Camposol Sector A and El Saladillo had been ordered to leave their homes as a precaution while firefighters battled the advancing flames.

In an update on Friday morning, Murcia president Fernando Lopez Miras said: ‘At 6.30 in the morning, the La Pinilla fire has been brought under control.

‘The personnel will continue working in the area until they manage to extinguish it. Thanks to all the professionals for the great work they do.’

The fires, fuelled by strong winds, prompted the activation of Murcia’s Infomur emergency plan and have threatened several nearby residential areas.

The main blaze was burning in La Pinilla, a rural area between Fuente Alamo and the coast, while another fire had also broken out close to the Camposol urbanisation.

Huge columns of black smoke could be seen from kilometres away, prompting numerous calls to the emergency services.

The blazes were burning through pine woodland and scrubland, with strong winds making firefighting operations particularly challenging.

A large emergency response remains in place, involving the Guardia Civil, Local Police, environmental officers, forestry brigades and firefighters from the Murcia Fire and Rescue Consortium.

The latest wildfire comes just days after another blaze sparked by a lightning strike in nearby El Alamillo, where evacuations were also considered.

It also follows the devastating wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almeria, earlier this month, which claimed 13 lives and has left emergency services across southern Spain on high alert as extreme heat, strong winds and tinder-dry vegetation continue to create dangerous wildfire conditions.

One Spanish Eye reader shared a photo taken from his terrace showing walls of flames snaking through the hills of Mazarron.