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14 SUR IN ENGLISH
SEPTEMBER 7TH TO 13TH 2012
News Disaster on the Costa del Sol
Many Costa del Sol residents were left homeless and with only the few possessions they
managed to salvage. Others were luckier. These are some of their stories
“It was absolutely terrifying”
GEORGE PRIOR
Those who were directly affected
by it will never forget the night
that fire raged along the Costa del
Sol. In the aftermath, SUR in English talked to some of them about
their experience.
Sandra Russo
“I just have to think
that we are all safe”
Thursday 30th August is a date that
Entrerríos resident Sandra Russo
tells SUR in English she would
“love to forget,” for on that night
her home was one of several in the
Mijas area that was razed to the
ground by the worst wildfires on
the Costa del Sol in a generation.
Sandra, her husband, and their
five year old daughter, were forced
to flee their house as the flames
began to lick the property’s garden.
“It was absolutely terrifying
seeing what was happening. The
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. ONE OF THE FRONTS, BEFORE DAWN ON FRIDAY. MIGUEL ÁNGEL PINEDA (SUR.ES)
fire was spreading so fast that we
didn’t get evacuated by the emergency crews - it all happened too
quickly for that in our area,” Sandra says.
“We grabbed what we could, including our dogs, cat, laptop,
purse, some photos and our passports and fled. I took my daughter in one car and my husband
was in another. He did try and
rush back in to collect more things
but by that stage the flames were
engulfing our home.
“We literally only have left what
we were able to escape with. All
our other possessions, such as our
clothes, furniture, fridge-freezer,
and brand new washing machine,
were all destroyed.”
Now staying with relatives in
Mijas Pueblo, Sandra tells this
newspaper how she and her family have been touched by the generosity of others, following the
blaze.
“Friends and family have been
extremely generous and supportive, offering us clothes, food, and
even money.”
SEPTEMBER 7TH TO 13TH 2012
SUR IN ENGLISH 15
News Disaster on the Costa del Sol
under threat from the fire which
was growing and becoming wilder
due to the high winds. I was one
of the many volunteers who went
to the centre to move the dogs out
in case it was struck.
“There were, I think, about 140
dogs and everyone was climbing
in to help by taking the animals
in their cars to their own homes
and other local shelters and kennels. I took six dogs back to my
own home that evening.
“Everyone pulled together under such scary and unpredictable
conditions.”
She adds: “I can’t think about
all that we have lost, I have to
think that we’re all safe, otherwise
I will go crazy.”
Sue and Martin Wilson
“Our fun night out
turned to panic”
As they met friends in Fuengirola
for pre-dinner drinks, last Thursday evening began as Sue and Martin Wilton, who live in Calahonda,
had planned.
But the couple’s fun night out
soon turned into one of “panic and
dread” as the fires threatened to
destroy their home.
“We’d heard from the taxi driver who took us to Fuengirola that
there was a fire somewhere near
Coín, but we didn’t think much of
it, to be honest,” explains Sue, a retired secretary, who moved to the
Costa del Sol from Bournemouth
in 2001.
“We spoke about it briefly on the
journey amongst ourselves and
then with our friends who we met
for some drinks in the main square as they too had heard, but the
conversation soon turned back to
the usual topics of holidays, family
and golf.”
She continues: “Around 8
o’clock our attention was diverted back to the fire as the sky
north and west of where we were
in Plaza de la Constitución had
turned a dark orange colour. It
was very obvious that the fire had
spread significantly and it was
then that we really started to become quite concerned.
“We tried to call our neighbours
who live in our urbanisation but
we couldn’t get hold of them which
of course made us begin to panic
more.”
Shortly after, Sue and Martin decided to leave their friends and
Steve Margetts
“The firefighters
were brilliant”
FIREFIGHTERS. CHECKING ONE OF THE AREAS DEVASTATED BY THE FIRE. AFP
head back to Calahonda.
“As we approached, it became
apparent that our home was in
very real danger. I can’t put into
words how sick, properly sick, it
makes you feel to know that your
home and everything in it could be
burnt to the ground. We both had
this empty, sinking but gut-wrenching feeling.” says Sue.
“We were turned away by the
emergency services as the roads
were closed. We went back to
Fuengirola and went to our
friends’ house so we could keep
abreast of what was going on via
the news and internet.
“It was so scary as we learned
more and more about what was
happening and we didn’t sleep a
wink.
“When we found out the next
day that the emergency services
had evacuated everyone and had
protected our properties, there was
this overwhelming sense of relief.
“We were still dreading returning home of course, worried
about what the scene would be
like. There was ash everywhere
and the exterior wall of our balcony was blackened but there was
no major damage – which, considering how close such a huge fire
was, is a miracle.
“We cannot thank the firefighters enough.”
Karin Driessen
“Everyone worked
together”
Dutch-born Valtocado Urbanisation resident Karin Driessen, says
she saw the blaze from her home
and alerted a friend whose apartment was in the path of the fire but
who had no idea as she was out in
nearby Mijas Pueblo.
She explains: “I saw flames
leaping into the sky and began to
hear constant sirens of the fire
engines and police vehicles. After
realising where the fire was, and
also the magnitude of it, I immediately rang my friend and told
her of the danger that her home
was in. She rushed back as
quickly as possible to rescue her
cat which was inside the property,
but the roads had already been
closed.
“Fortunately, both the apartment and the cat survived the
blaze – but it was very close; too
close for comfort!”
Karin adds: “I then realised that
the SOS Animal Shelter was also
Steve Margetts, who runs Riviera
del Sol-based property sales and
rental firm, Marlin Global, says
that his tenants are “full of praise” for the fire crews who used the
upper terraces of the complex where they live to tackle the blaze.
“They all agreed that they were
brilliant and extremely professional and polite. Some said that
the firefighters were almost apologetic at having to use their apartments,” he confirms.
“After the fire, when the cleanup operation began to remove the
debris and ash from gardens, terraces and pools, there was definitely an attitude of everyone rolling their sleeves up and getting
stuck in.”
Sarah Dale, one of Mr Margett’s
tenants, echoes the sentiment.
She says: “Everyone was offering
places to stay; we took some holidaymakers from next door away
with us in the car. It was very
worrying when we had to evacuate as you never know whether
you home is going to be safe or
not.”
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