Residents evacuated from the Flamingos urbanisation in Benahavís have been authorised to return home after firefighters gained control of the wildfire that had threatened homes and forced the closure of part of the AP-7 on the Costa del Sol.

The return matters immediately for local households who had been moved out overnight, with Benahavís Town Hall previously directing evacuees to the municipal sports hall for accommodation and assistance. Earlier updates cited by regional and local media said about 1,000 people had been evacuated as a precaution in the Benahavís area.

According to ABC, the order allowing residents back was issued for the Flamingos urbanisation on Friday 10 July. Earlier, Andalucía's wildfire service Infoca had been managing the blaze under an emergency phase, operational situation 1, after the fire broke out near the boundary between Estepona and Benahavís.

"Everyone evacuated due to the fire in Parque Botánico can go to the Benahavís municipal sports hall, where a space has been set up to provide accommodation and assistance," Benahavís Town Hall said in an earlier public update cited by primary source reporting.

AP-7 closure and evacuations affected homes near the fire

The fire led to precautionary evacuations first in the Parque Botánico Country Club area and later in other residential properties, including the Four Seasons apartments, according to reporting that cited official statements from the Junta de Andalucía and Infoca.

The AP-7 toll motorway was partially closed near the flames while emergency services worked in the area. For residents returning home, that meant both displacement from their properties and disruption on one of the main road links between Estepona and Marbella.

  • The fire was reported near the Benahavís-Estepona boundary.
  • Infoca said nearly 180 personnel were working on stabilising the blaze in updates carried on 10 July.
  • Benahavís Town Hall opened the municipal sports hall for evacuated residents needing shelter and assistance.

Emergency response remained in place as the perimeter was contained

Before residents were allowed back, Infoca had increased the resources deployed to the blaze. A reported evening update cited 110 firefighters, four fire engines and seven helicopters, including aircraft from Spain's ecological transition ministry, MITECO.

Infobae, citing EFE and the provincial delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Málaga, Patricia Navarro, reported that the fire remained active while more than 60 per cent of the perimeter had been contained. The same report said almost 180 personnel were still working on stabilisation.

The available primary source text does not specify in detail which authority lifted every evacuation order across all affected developments, but ABC reports that residents of the Flamingos urbanisation were authorised to return on Friday. People in Benahavís seeking local assistance were previously directed by the town hall to the municipal sports hall.

Reported by Source Text Link, Víctor Mod, Walter Finch, Por Newsroom Infobae Agregar Infobae en Agrega Infobae a tus medios preferidos en Google, Laurence Dollimore, George Mathias, Giles Brown, Isabel Méndez, Alejandro González, lavozdelsur.es, Isabel Méndez, Eugenio Cabezas and Almudena Nogués, Ángela Martínez, Olive Press News Spain.