Briefing
The wildfire near Benahavís in the province of Málaga, which broke out on Sunday 13 September 2026 in the area of Paraje Ermita del Rosario broke out, has been brought under control, according to the Junta de Andalucía and the incident command of the Plan Andaluz contra Incendios Forestales (Plan Infoca). During the night into Monday, emergency crews were able to slow the leading edge of the fire and consolidate the perimeter; the incident command then lowered the alert level and lifted the precautionary confinement of the town centre on 14 September 2026.
Despite the fire being brought under control, firefighters and specialist teams are continuing mopping-up work and clearing hot spots to prevent flare-ups. During the acute phase, the operational situation was raised to Level 1 of the Infoca emergency plan; it was subsequently downgraded to the pre-emergency phase, or Preemergencia once the situation allowed. Several aircraft and ground crews were deployed, and heavy equipment was used to secure the edges of residential areas.
According to preliminary estimates given by the authorities, around 300 hectares were affected. A technical survey will establish the final area affected; reliable final figures will be published once safety and survey work is complete. According to the authorities, three people sustained minor injuries, including one person with burns who received medical treatment; one emergency worker was injured in a fall.
Some urbanisations initially remained evacuated as a precaution or were excluded from returning, while the town centre became accessible again. Residents were asked to follow the instructions of the incident command, avoid areas at risk and continue reporting suspected smoke to emergency services. Investigations into the cause and assessments of damage to infrastructure and nature are under way; regional authorities have announced support measures for those affected.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).