Prepare for the forest fire season in Costa del Sol

Malaga’s Infoca Plan is gearing up for the high-risk wildfire season with a record €257 million budget, a 34 per cent increase since 2018.

Of this, €111 million is allocated to firefighting and €146 million for prevention, which reflect the added danger the forests of the Malaga region face in 2025. Intense rains over the past few months have caused the undergrowth to grow, increasing the risk of fire.

The province will deploy a total of 577 people, including 438 personnel from the Forest Fire Service and another 79 employees from the Sustainability and Environment Department. The operation consists of 13 heavy vehicles (12 Fire trucks, 1 Water tender) and 13 Transport Vehicles. Aerial support comprises 40 units, with 36 provided by the Junta: 23 helicopters and 13 planes, backed by a €26 million investment. Malaga has 146 water intakes and 19 surveillance stations.

The European Hurricane project will use advanced technologies including drones equipped with AI to provide real-time information. On June 2, the public will have access to live wildfire risk indexes and tracking. Málaga’s 164 radio stations and 136 portable terminals form Europe’s leading emergency communication network.

Infoca is currently in a pre-emergency stage until October 31. Infoca reported that 86 interventions were made in 2024. 80 percent of these incidents were minor, and the burned hectares decreased by 20 percent to 160.5.