It is now some 3 years on since the last “big” one. That fire, also in September, was horrendous, with over 8,000 square hectares of prime pine forest and moorland being devastated by the flames. The fire raged for 4 days and at time there were 30 to 40 airborne fire fighting planes and helicopters working during the daylight hours. Firefighters fought the fire round the clock and did a fantastic job.
The fire unfortunately was started by foreigners who lost there way in the hills above Lanjaron. It shows the dangers, especially at this time of year after the dry summer. We must be especially wary at all times.
The photo above is taken from below Pinos de Valle, opposite the Cerro de Caballo. Bearing in mind that the mountains at the bottom of the photo are 3000m high, it shows the immense scale of the firestorm, which looks like some kind of nuclear explosion!
I have found some articles about the fires here that make very interesting reading. The first is a blog from one of the firefighters involved in 2005. His name is Juan Caama±o and he is a Forestry Engineer and specialist in wildland fire management.
Also have a look at the interesting “Wild Fire Behaviour”, an article writen by Aspen at Semilla Besada, who also has written “Fire in the Mediterranean” which looks at the reasons why the Mediterranean is ranked third in the world as a fire-risk area.
