Firefighters caused ‘worse fire in a decade’ in Igualeja

FIVE members of the Infoca fire department in Igualeja were arrested charged with starting the worst fire in the area for a decade.

Two of them have since been released with charges of negligence.

The firefighters, who belong to Infoca, the fire department which is controlled by the Junta de Andalucia, reportedly started a fire to dispose of vegetation which they had accumulated while clearing the Pujerra area to prevent forest fires.

However, there were strong winds on that particular day, as well as the surrounding vegetation being dry, which they did not take into account, and which eventually destroyed 765 hectares of pine and other trees in the areas of Pujerra, Benahavis, Jubrique, Genalguacil and Estepona.