Algeciras wildfire controlled after 24 intense hours

Spanish firefighters battled for 24 hours to bring under control a wildfire in the hills behind Algeciras that sent a thick plume of smoke over the bay and a shower of ash particles on Gibraltar at the weekend.

There were no injuries or damage to property as a result of the blaze, which destroyed about 150 hectares of forest in the area known as Las Pantallas, above Getares.

The fire started at around 6.30pm on Saturday, triggering a major response coordinated by Andalucia’s forest fire fighting service, Plan Infoca, and involving both land and air units.

A number of farms in the area were evacuated as windy conditions complicated the work and made the fire unpredictable.

But by late Sunday afternoon, the fire had been brought under control though not extinguished altogether.

On Saturday, acting Chief Minster Fabian Picardo called the president of Mancomunidad, Susana Perez Custodio, offering any assistance Gibraltar could provide.