AP-7 Highway Fire Near l’Alfàs del Pi Caused by Discarded Cigarette

A cigarette butt tossed from a moving vehicle ignited vegetation along the AP-7 (Autopista del Mediterráneo) near kilometre 642, between the municipalities of l’Alfàs del Pi and La Nucía in the province of Alicante, Spain. The blaze affected a strip of cañar and scrub, producing a large smoke column visible across the region.

Emergency services, including a substantial deployment from the Consorcio Provincial de Bomberos de Alicante, contained the fire in about one hour and forty minutes, stabilising it by 20:23 after the initial alarm at 18:43. No personal injuries were reported. The local council emphasized the illegality of throwing cigarette remnants from vehicle windows, noting fines up to €500 and possible license point deductions, and called for heightened public caution during the ongoing heat‑wave.