Yesterday a fire broke out in El Higueron near Mijas Pueblo, Spain. Later it spread to Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin el Grande.
The fire has been described by a British expatriate as “like a monster”.
About 2,300 people were reported to have been evacuated from their homes this morning because of the fire.
Evacuations were coordinated as a “precautionary measure,” local authorities noted.
Adrian and Ursula Haworth said they were within 1,500 feet of the flames when they were forced to leave.
The British expatriate couple in their 80s, quoted in the Mirror, said they left their home with nothing more than medicine and the clothes on their backs.
The couple, originally from Lincolnshire, are now unsure what will happen to their home.
Ursula said: “The most important thing is life and health, because at the moment material things are the least of our worries.
“Our thoughts are with the firefighters.
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Bill Anderson, 64, now a councilor in Mijas, described how the fire started amid intense heat.
He, quoted in the Daily Record, said: “The wildfire started in the mountains around 12 noon. It was 37 degrees this afternoon so you can imagine how dry everything is.
“What happens to these fires really depends on the direction the wind is blowing. It can go up and down the mountain and to another municipality or down to us.
“This time it has gone over the mountain and the people down there are being evacuated. There are some areas in Mijas that have been evacuated as a precaution because we didn’t know which way the fire was going and also because of the smoke.
“It’s very heavy in the air. It spreads very fast, like these things do. The security services were really quick.”
Temperatures are also set to rise in the UK this weekend, with forecasters suggesting one of the next four days could bring the highest recorded temperature to date in the country.