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THOUSANDS of tourists and locals have been evacuated from a Spanish resort spot to escape a raging wildfire.
More than 2,000 people rushed to safety from the hotels and beaches in the town of Tarifa, Cadiz, southern Spain, as smoke erupted from the dry fields and forests nearby.
Huge clouds of choking black smoke sprang from the landscape – and left people in the area terrified.
The evacuation order was sounded at around 2:20pm on Monday afternoon.
One holidaymaker said: “Going down to the beach was the only solution.
“At first, it was a little smoky in the morning.
“At lunchtime, around three or four, we saw the smoke intensifying and that a lot of helicopters and firefighters were coming.”
Along with dozens of neighbours, he made a beeline for the coast.
He said: “The smoke was intensifying and getting closer.
“We saw flames coming down from the top of the mountain and that the easterly wind was intensifying. We were scared.”
The smoke was so dense that at times the evacuated houses were obscured from the shoreline.
Another tourist said: “Right on the beach, the smoke was suffocating us.”
Most of the crowds were ushered along the shore towards the village of Zahara de los Atunes.
A sports centre was being refitted as an emergency refuge for the evacuees.
Antonio Sanz, the Interior Minister, urged anyone staying behind the stay inside and close their windows, because the smoke is “very harmful” and makes it difficult to breathe.
He said: “At the moment, the main concern is on the right side towards the scrub forest area.
He reassured that all resources were being channelled into preventing further damage.
The blaze is the latest in a string of wildfires to strike Spain this summer.
They have engulfed tens of thousands of hectares and threatened Unesco World Heritage sites.
Less than a week ago, another fire in the nearby La Pena area forced the evacuation of thousands from campsites, hotels and the beaches.
For days, emergency services have tackling other fires in the area, both by land and by air.
More than 100 troops are currently deployed in the area, including four Firefighting Reinforcement Brigades.
