Ban on barbecues Costa del Sol as wildfire risk continues – here’s when it will lifted

In a reminder of the escalating wildfire crisis which continues in Andalusia, authorities in Malaga province have extended the ban on barbecues across all public spaces until November 1, citing persistent drought and unusually high temperatures for the season.

The measure, which is meant to curb human-induced wildfires that ravage the region’s landscapes, reminds residents of the urgent need for vigilance as weather patterns intensify fire risks. With over 1,200 hectares scorched in localised blazes this year alone, people are urged to comply to prevent catastrophe. The decision, announced by the Junta de Andalucia’s Plan INFOCA brigade, is part of a proactive stance against the dry spell that has left forests tinder-dry and vulnerable.

Why barbecues are banned in Malaga Province: A response to wildfire threats

The prohibition on barbecues comes directly from heightened wildfire dangers that have been exacerbated by meteorological anomalies. Plan INFOCA officials point to a lack of rainfall – Malaga has seen just 60 per cent of average precipitation since June – as the primary culprit, leaving dry underbrush primed for ignition.  Human activities, including discarded embers from illicit grills, account for nearly 40 per cent of regional fires, according to recent data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.

This year’s extension, pushing the cutoff beyond the traditional October 15, marks the second consecutive year of prolonged restrictions, a trend experts link to climate change’s lengthening fire seasons.

In Mijas, one of the worst places for this kind of incident, local awareness campaigns have sealed off even designated barbecue pits in parks like El Esparragal to eliminate risks.  “One careless spark can ignite a tragedy amid these conditions,” warns a recent council drive. The ban encompasses all open-flame devices, from portable grills to bonfires, in forests, beaches, and recreational zones within 400 metres of woodlands.

Wildfire risks escalate: How dry weather fuels the Malaga barbecue ban

Unseasonably warm temperatures hovering at 28°C in mid-October have compounded the crisis, drying out vegetation and raising fire indices to ‘high’ across the province. Satellite monitoring from the European Copernicus programme reveals that Malaga’s fire-prone areas, such as the Sierra de las Nieves and Axarquia hills, show increased heat stress in pine and scrub ecosystems.  A 2024 study in the Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration analysed three decades of data, finding human influence, via tourism and agriculture, worsens hazards, with fire incidents up 25 per cent since 2010.

The Costa del Sol will need a good soaking before any kind of activity involving fire, or fireworks will be permitted again. Civil Protection think it will be November, but if anyone knows a rain dance, sometime soon would be appreciated.