British couple who lost home to fire see local fire protection cut

Andy and Becky Derrick lost their home in a fire in Benamargosa in 2016 and deliberately moved to Periana because of its protection under the local fire department. To their dismay, the local fire department´s service has been suspended amid heightened fire risks this summer.

Periana´s local firefighting team has been relocated to the more central Malaga-Velez station, leaving Periana locals like the Derrick´s a 30-minute response time away from the nearest fire station.

Tragedy strikes

Becky and Andy Derrick chose to live in Periana largely because the town had a local fire station and could prevent the same tragedy from befalling them again as it did in Benalmargosa in 2016.

“Friday, 11th March 2016 was just another normal day; we went to work, finished work, and had to pop to the next village only about 10 minutes down the road.” said Becky Derrick, 43 “We had been there a little while, and Andy had a phone call. He started to run back to the car, shouting, ‘The house is on fire’.”

Periana Protests

Both Spanish and foreign residents like the Derricks took to the streets to protest in front of the currently derelict Periana fire department on July 23 to demand that Malaga´s provincial government reinstate the service that protects the area, which, like lots of Andalucia, is in the midst of a severe drought.

The reservoir that serves the area, La Viñuela is under 20 per cent full, and residents of the area serviced by the reservoir have faced shortages and daily cuts to their water service for over a year. The ongoing heat wave is the largest cause for this drought, however low rainfall in the winter contribute as well.