Mijas seeks classification as ‘disaster zone’

MIJAS Town Hall plans to request that the Junta de Andalucia declare the area affect by the recent fire as a ‘disaster zone’.

If this happens, the town hall will receive better financial and human resources which will allow the environmental recovery of the affected area.

The deputy mayor, Lourdes Burgos, requested that the Junta “make the maximum effort to evaluate the damage produced by the fire.”

To obtain the classification the damaged area must be more than 500 hectares, and according to initial reports from the Junta de Andalucia Forest Firefighting Service, Infoca, 684 hectares were burned in the blaze which also reached Ojen and Marbella.

Burgos criticized the attitude of the Junta de Andalucia Delegate in Malaga, Remedios Martel, who she claimed had failed to contact the mayor, Angel Nozal.

According to the Town Hall, the Guardia Civil Nature Protection Service, Regional Police and Forest Fire Investigation Brigade, the investigation is still being carried out in the Entrerrios area.

Although it appears that the fire was started due to a bonfire not being properly extinguished, they haven’t ruled out any possibilities, although the most important thing, the deputy mayor said, was to find the culprit and make them responsible for what they did, whether it was intentional or not.

Photo credit: Jacques Hirsch