More than 300 people in Manilva rally against closure of local fire station

There is indignation and consternation among the residents of Manilva at the decision of Malaga's provincial authority to close the local fire station.

"After 15 years, the Manilva fire brigade cannot leave. Technical incidents can be solved, but lives cannot," said mayor of Manilva Mario Jiménez, highlighting that the municipality has 20,000 inhabitants throughout the year, which grows to 70,000 in the area in the summer. All of them require this essential service.

Mario Jiménez stated that "a fire engine from Estepona to Manilva takes 25 minutes to arrive". "We appeal to the Diputación de Málaga to resume dialogue with us in order to solve this; it should never be a unilateral decision against the people of Manilva."

Jiménez also announced that signatures are being collected in the town and also through the platform change.org. "Institutional loyalty cannot be lost but we must demand what is common sense. No to the closure of the fire station in Manilva because this is about human lives, not political parties."

Mayor of Casares Juan Luis Villalón, who was also present at the rally, said that they were not aware of the closure until a week ago. He stated that the mobilisation of citizens is essential given the circumstances.

"We remain open to dialogue and willing to engage with the provincial consortium of firefighters and the provincial authority," said the mayors of both municipalities, urging the provincial authority's occupational risk prevention company to also attend the meeting, as it was the author of the technical report behind the decision.

Right-wing PP councillor José Manuel Jiménez (who was the mayor of Manilva until 28 April this year) also joined the public in opposing the closure of the fire station, insisting that the dialogue should be kept open until a decision that serves the people of Manilva is established.

Residents' outrage

"We are all in disagreement with the closure of the Manilva station. It is an injustice... it is very much needed here, because of the summer and the fires," said one resident.

Another resident said that services are slowly being taken away from them, as they lost a local bank branch almost three years ago.

An elderly lady expressed her anger at the state of isolation that they are left in. As she explained, a fire engine from Estepona would take too long to extinguish a fire in a house or in the mountains. "I don't even want to think about it. We are going to fight so that they don't take the fire brigade away," she stated.