Eugenio Cabezas
A lightning strike set fire to a palm tree near several rural homes in Almayate Alto, in the municipality of Vélez-Málaga, at around 10.15am on Sunday, sparking alarm among residents as flames and smoke rose close to their properties.
The fire broke out in the La Rabia area during a morning of heavy rain and thunderstorms across the Axarquía, but firefighters brought it under control quickly, with the continuing downpour helping to prevent the flames from spreading. No one was injured and the damage was confined to vegetation.
The lightning bolt hit the palm tree, which caught fire and sent a cloud of smoke into the air that could be seen from several points nearby. Firefighters attended the scene, but the incident was dealt with swiftly. The rain falling at the time also helped stop the flames spreading to surrounding vegetation and the scattered homes in the area.
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The loud crack of the lightning and the sight of the flames startled local residents. Several people shared photos of the fire on AxarquíaPlus' social media channels. "Goodness, what a fright," Loli Camacho López wrote, while Loli Vera said that "the noise was horrible". The images show flames rising beside the vegetation.
Heavy rain causes disruption across the Axarquía
The incident came after an especially difficult night of severe weather. The Axarquía remained under a red-level warning for rainfall for three hours, until 3am, according to Aemet (the state meteorological agency).
Andalucía's emergency services dealt with 89 incidents linked to rain and thunderstorms overnight, 73 of them in Malaga province. Most involved flooding, landslides, problems on roads and interruptions to utility supplies.
From the start of the storm at midday on Saturday until 7am on Sunday, the emergency services had recorded 357 incidents across Andalucía, including 97 in Malaga province. No injuries were reported.
Emergency services have kept the regional flood-risk plan at operational level 1 and are urging people to take extra care as thunderstorms continue.
In the Axarquía, there have been no major incidents apart from rising river and stream levels and rockfalls on several local roads. Heavy rainfall has also caused significant damage to rural tracks across the eastern part of the area. There have been no reports of injuries or serious damage to property.