Elderly man who stayed to fight Benahavís blaze dies after week in hospital

On 13 September a wildfire broke out near the Rosario chapel in Benahavís, prompting the Andalusian regional government to lock down the village and order preventative evacuations in Montemayor, La Coja and Benahavís Hills. A 78-year-old Jordanian man chose to stay and attempt to protect his house, suffering extensive burns. He was initially hospitalized in Malaga and later moved to the burns unit at Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville, where he remained from 14 September until his death on Monday.

Authorities reported that his wife, a domestic worker and their pets were safely evacuated. The fire, which was declared under control after 31 hours, involved more than twenty aircraft and up to 300 firefighters, and also injured an Infoca worker with a fractured wrist and a local resident with smoke inhalation.