Wildfire in southern Spain forces 2,000 people to flee

Emergency agencies deployed almost 1,000 firefighters, military personnel and support crews Thursday to fight a wildfire in southern Spain that has forced the evacuation of some 2,000 people amid fears that torrid weather may feed the blaze.

Authorities raced against the clock in the dry, hilly area of Andalusia as Spain's AEMET weather service said the country could be on the verge of a heat wave. Temperatures were forecast to reach well over 30 Cand to increase over the weekend.

Crews sought to take advantage of lower temperatures and more humid conditions overnight that saw the flames quiet down, according to the regional firefighting service Infoca and the Andalusia regional government. Seven water-dropping helicopters and a co-ordinating plane were on standby.

Spain's Emergency Military Unit, which is assigned to help civilian forces with major incidents, sent 233 personnel and more than 80 vehicles to the area, authorities said.

Five different locations across the province of Malaga were evacuated as a precaution late Wednesday, with most people sheltering with relatives or in local hotels, officials said.

The blaze injured three firefighters after it broke out Wednesday amid gusting winds; one suffered burns on 25 per centof his body.

Spain's worst wildfire last year ravaged the same rugged area inland from the coastal resort town of Marbella. Nearly 10,000 hectares burned before the fire was finally put out after 46 days. One firefighter died in the blaze.