Fire season figures show a reduction

MALAGA Province lost 382.84 hectares of land to fire during the high-risk season, a 72.22 per cent reduction on the yearly average for the last decade.

Almost 47 per cent of forest fires registered were caused by negligence and 30 per cent were deliberate.

Andalucian government delegate Jose Luis Ruiz Espejo explained that out of 154 fires in the province extinguished by firefighters, 84 were forest fires and the remaining 70 were agricultural or town fires. He added that although figures were good, the average for the decade took into account the great Barranco Blanco fire of 2012, which boosted figures.

While the number of fires started deliberately has dropped thanks to work and investigations by the police, those caused by negligence have risen with more public awareness needed.