How the Andalusian forest fire extinction units operate in Malaga during the high-risk season

Wildfires

Ignacio Lillo

The high-risk wildfire season began on 1 June and will run until 15 October. In practice, summer now arrives earlier each year.

By late May, several small fires had already broken out. Fortunately, none escalated, although experts warn that conditions already resemble peak July levels. Despite heavy rainfall over the winter, vegetation has quickly lost moisture due to early heat, leaving it highly vulnerable to ignition from any spark.

To prevent that, Malaga province relies on a large deployment under the Infoca Andalusian forest fire response plan. The most specialised units operate within the rapid intervention brigades (Brica).

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One of these bases sits in Cártama, beside the Grande river at the end of the A-357 motorway through the Guadalhorce Valley. There, crews stand on alert, ready to respond within minutes when the siren sounds and deploy to the frontline of any wildfire.

When people talk about weapons in this context, the most powerful tool in the Infoca arsenal is the Airbus Super Puma helicopter. It performs two roles: it transports up to 21 firefighters directly into difficult terrain and acts as an airborne water bomber using a 'bambi bucket' (a large suspended tank that drops water onto flames).

Andalucía operates three of these helicopters: one based in Malaga, another in Sevilla (Madroñalejo) and a third in Huelma, Jaén. This aircraft forms one of Infoca's main frontline resources during the fire season.

"This is the most powerful unit not only in Andalucía, but in Spain and even Europe," Brica operations technician Francisco Vera says. "In Brica deployments, we can land 19 firefighters directly on the ground, while the helicopter drops 2,500 litres of water per load."

The operation works in coordination: the helicopter moves ahead, drops water to knock down flame height and ground crews move in immediately behind to secure the area and prevent re-ignition.

The Super Puma is not the only aircraft in use. Andalucía also deploys Bell 412 helicopters (1,200-litre capacity), Bell 212 models with similar capacity and Koala helicopters carrying up to 900 litres.

The 'bambi bucket' weighs around 100 kilos and requires a team of four to handle it. Crews attach it to a steel cable running from the helicopter, which allows controlled release over the target area. Operators fill it by lowering it into reservoirs or water points, where it sinks under its own weight and fills within seconds.

Each drop takes around ten seconds before the aircraft climbs and returns to the fire. The province contains numerous dedicated water collection points in forests and protected areas, with the closest to the Cártama base located at Monte de la Robla.

Alongside helicopters, Infoca also uses fixed-wing aircraft that drop water mixed with long-lasting fire retardant loaded at base airfields. These aircraft carry around 3,000 litres, similar to amphibious planes that scoop water directly from reservoirs, rivers or coastal inlets.

The retardant slows moisture loss in vegetation, giving ground crews more time to reach the fire front. At the Cártama base, two large storage tanks hold 180,000 litres of water and 35,000 litres of retardant made mainly from ammonium phosphate and a red dye. The dye allows pilots to see where they have already dropped loads and avoid overlapping.

The Canadair amphibious aircraft, based at Malaga Airport and operated by the central government, carries between 5,500 and 6,100 litres of water. It skims the surface of reservoirs or the sea to refill in seconds.

Across the province, Infoca will operate five aerial units this summer: two light helicopters based in Colmenar and Sierra de las Nieves, a Bell 412 in Ronda, the Super Puma in Cártama and the Canadair amphibious aircraft. Andalucía as a whole fields 43 aircraft and more than 100 firefighting vehicles, along with drones for inspection and monitoring.

Firefighters know the danger of aerial drops. A direct hit from a helicopter load can prove fatal. Protocols therefore set strict minimum drop heights, generally no lower than 15 metres, depending on aircraft type.

Ground resources include specially adapted Iveco fire engines built by Iturri, each carrying 4,000 litres of water and fitted with high-pressure pumps designed for forest terrain.

"In the end, the people make the system work," Vera says. "They go into the frontline in extreme heat and under enormous pressure. They have a level of endurance that goes beyond the normal. They are the foundation of Infoca's success."

He stresses that most crews join out of vocation rather than financial motivation. "The moment you commit your life to firefighting, money stops being the priority," he says. "But risks remain controlled and serious accidents are rare."

Although Infoca mainly operates in summer, its teams increasingly respond to floods and other natural emergencies. "The system is becoming a year-round emergency service," Vera says. "But its core mission remains wildfire response, and that is where it focuses most of its effort."