Huge wildfire erupts in Brit holiday hotspot Costa del Sol with 5 helicopters battling inferno & emergency alert issued

A MASSIVE wildfire has broken out near a Spanish village popular with Brit expats, sparking a level one emergency. At least five helicopters and over 60 firefighters have raced to the inferno near Costa del Sol and are furiously battling the flames. Fiery red flames tear through the Spanish hillside near Costa del Sol Credit: Solarpix Monstrous thick clouds of smoke billow into the blue skies Credit: Solarpix The raging blaze is believed to have been sparked inside a small Catholic chapel at around 3pm. Dramatic photos show fiery red flames scorching treetops as a monstrous wall of thick smoke billows across the region. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The wildfire ripped through the hillsides close to the mountain village of Benahavis, a short drive away from Marbella. Emergency text messages have pinged across the region as anxious locals strive to escape unharmed from the fires. Residents have been urged to hunker down in their homes and shut all doors and windows as choking smoke spirals through the air. Andalucia’s Acting Minister for Health said: “If you are in the area, shelter inside a masonry house or building. “Close doors and windows. Follow the instructions from 1-1-2 and the emergency services. Avoid risks.” One stricken eyewitness said that the village of Benahavis was in a “terrible state”. Most read in The Sun She told Spanish newspaper Olive Press: “We managed to get out. They aren’t letting anyone in anymore. “The vegetation along the entire road leading to the village is on fire. It’s horrible.” It comes just months after deadly wildfires devastated the hillsides of Almeria, killing 15. The entire hillside is smoldering with red hot fires Credit: Solarpix A thick wall of grey smoke descends over the blaze-struck region Credit: Solarpix Nine Brits were among the victims of the horrifying blaze on July 9. Just days ago one Brit woman died in hospital two months after getting trapped in the devastating Spanish wildfires. Expat Michelle Leake suffered horror burns across her body and was being treated in an intensive care unit at Seville’s Virgen del Rocio University Hospital before she succumbed to her injuries. Mum-of-three Lisa Fryett, another victim of the Bedar wildfire, died in the same Seville hospital on July 28. The 47-year-old, from Canvey Island, Essex, was staying near the village with her partner Simon Batchelor, who was also airlifted critically injured to the hospital’s specialist burns unit after being rescued by police. A 93-year-old British woman who has not been formally named died in hospital three days after the first 12 people were killed the day the wildfire started. Expat couple Pete and Fran Gillam were also among those killed in the wildfires. Sheffield-based daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton has since claimed police have botched the investigation into their deaths. A further four Brits tragically entered a “death trap” as they desperately tried to escape the raging flames. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us on TikTok @TheSun. Comment now