Southern Spain's Wildfire, in Photos | The Weather Channel
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After scrambling to gain control over a wildfire before a heat wave strikes over the weekend, officials said Friday that the blaze in southern Spain is closer to being contained.

By

Nicole Bonaccorso

June 10, 2022

Slideshow

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A wildfire advances near a housing urbanization in Marbella, Malaga, Spain, on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Emergency services deployed almost 1,000 firefighters, military personnel and support crews Thursday to fight a wildfire that has forced the evacuation of some 2,000 people in southern Spain amid fears that torrid weather may feed the blaze. (AP Photo/Gregorio Marrero)

After scrambling to gain control over a wildfire before a heat wave strikes over the weekend, officials said Friday that the blaze in southern Spain is closer to being contained.

The fire forced the evacuation of 2,000 people earlier in the week, and burned more than seven square miles west of the resort town of Marabella. Three firefighters have been injured since the fire broke out on Wednesday on Pujerra mountain in the Sierra Bermeja mountain range. One of the injured suffered burns over 25% of his body, according to Reuters.

Firefighters were able to gain control over the wildfire overnight Thursday into Friday during lower temperatures and improved wind and humidity conditions. Authorities were lowering the level of emergency and allowing the evacuated to return home on Friday.

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"The work during the night has been effective," Carmen Crespo, Agriculture, Fishing and Sustainable Development councilor for the Andalusian regional government, said, according to the Associated Press. "The fire is not controlled but it's not advancing."

Temperatures are expected to rise up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming days, which could have fueled the flames and made firefighting efforts a lot more difficult and dangerous.

The same region was the site of Spain's worst wildfire of 2021, which burned more than 37 square miles over 46 days.

Click through the slideshow above to see images of the recent wildfire.

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