Forest fire in Estepona forces evacuation of 1,000 residents and cuts AP-7 motorway

Fire breaks out on Costa del Sol

On Thursday 9 July at around 16:30, a forest fire ignited in the ditch of the AP-7 motorway at kilometre 1068, near the municipality of Estepona in Málaga province. Fanned by strong winds and a heatwave that had placed the region under yellow alert for high temperatures, the flames spread rapidly through woodland towards the Montemayor urbanisation. Within minutes, a dense column of smoke was visible from across the Costa del Sol coastline.

Evacuations and road closure

As the fire advanced north towards Benahavís, the regional government ordered preventive evacuations. Around 1,000 residents from the Parque Botánico Country Club and the front line of Los Flamingos urbanization, including the Four Seasons apartments, approximately 400 homes, were told to leave. The Montemayor area was placed under confinement. The AP-7 motorway, a key artery of the Costa del Sol, was closed in the direction of Cádiz between kilometres 1054 and 1070 to give fire crews unimpeded access. The closure caused long traffic jams before the road was reopened at around 21:00.

Emergency response

At 17:30, Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s minister of the presidency and director of the Infoca forest fire plan, activated the emergency level, operational situation 1, triggering additional measures to protect people and property. An advance command post was set up at Llano de la Ermita, in Benahavís, to coordinate the operation. By late evening, the deployment had grown to over 200 professionals, including eight groups of forest firefighters, four fire engines, and 13 aircraft: seven helicopters and six planes, among them a heavy amphibious aircraft sent by the central government. AEMET had extended its yellow heat alert for the area.

Overnight effort and outlook

Through the night, 235 personnel remained on the scene, with 129 ground staff and 10 fire engines continuing to battle the flames. By midnight, firefighters had managed to contain 60% of the perimeter, though the fire was still active. The Benahavís sports centre was opened as a reception point, with 50 beds provided by the Red Cross. Most evacuees, however, found shelter with relatives or in local hotels. Patricia Navarro, the Andalusian government delegate in Málaga, monitored the situation from the command post. Authorities urged the public to avoid the area and follow official instructions.