Emergency services evacuated several homes on Saturday afternoon, 20 June 2026, after a fire broke out in dense vegetation along the Segura River near Murcia’s El Malecón. The blaze began shortly before 4 p.m. behind the Maristas school and spread across both riverbanks, threatening nearby residential areas.
Reeds and brush along the banks helped the flames advance through the overgrown vegetation in dry summer conditions. Witnesses reported seeing palm trees and houses catch fire. Firefighters initially deployed 21 personnel and several vehicles, then requested aerial support as the blaze spread.
Two helicopters operated under the Dirección General de Seguridad Ciudadana de Emergencias, one from Alcantarilla and the other from Sierra de la Pila. Crews focused on the more intensely affected right bank, around Rincón de Seca, while the fire also reached the left bank in La Arboleja. Emergency personnel evacuated several nearby homes.
A large column of smoke was visible from several kilometres away. The fire brought back memories of the recent Los Garres blaze, which was reported to have burned nearly 200 hectares and prompted evacuations. Initial indications in the El Malecón incident did not point to arson.
The Segura’s vegetated banks can let flames spread quickly when reeds and brush are dry. The response to the El Malecón fire involved ground crews and aerial resources, with emergency personnel evacuating homes as flames advanced along both sides of the river.
