Nerja’s volunteer heroes rush to cliff fire as five are pulled from the sea

Civil Protection volunteers dropped everything on the evening of Monday, September 14 to race to Playa de Maro, answering the call when flames broke out on the cliffs below the historic watchtower and threatened to overwhelm emergency crews.

Volunteers mobilised within just minutes of the alarm

Nerja’s Civil Protection team was activated as soon as reports came in of a fire near the Torre de Maro, heading straight to the scene to join the wider operation that was already under way. Andalucia’s 112 service had logged more than sixty calls from extremely worried residents and visitors who were watching smoke rise over the coastline.

On arrival, Civil Protection crews joined forces with firefighters from the Malaga Provincial Consortium, lending a much-welcomed hand to help with efforts to bring the blaze under control. Their contribution went well beyond firefighting too. The volunteers took charge of supporting the operation and kept personnel fed and watered as they battled the flames well into the evening.

Dramatic rescue as fire cuts off cove

Danger escalated even further when five people, including a child, became stuck in a small cove with no way out by land. Guardia Civil’s maritime unit from Motril quickly sailed in to pull the group, along with their dog, safely out of the water, adding real urgency to an already stretched operation on the ground.

Civil Protection representatives heavily praised the coordination between every service involved, crediting close cooperation with firefighters for delivering a fast, effective response. Officials thanked the Provincial Fire Consortium, Nerja Town Hall and the EMA 112 Andalucia emergency service for their support throughout the incident.

Monday’s blaze proves how much the town leans on its Civil Protection volunteers when trouble strikes. Their behind-the-scenes work kept professional crews going through a demanding operation. The volunteers once again showed their worth to Nerja.