At least 13 dead in Almería wildfire as British hikers found badly burned and evacuees return home

A fast-moving wildfire in southern Spain's Almería province has killed at least 13 people, with officials warning the number of missing remains uncertain. The fire, which erupted on Thursday, has been contained after burning through roughly 7,000 hectares of land, allowing some 1,600 evacuees to begin returning home.

The fire's path and containment

The blaze started on Thursday evening near the village of Los Gallardos and spread rapidly through an area of deep ravines and scattered houses, fuelled by winds of up to 50 km/h and dry esparto grass. Andalusia's regional president, Juan Manuel Moreno, announced on Sunday that the fire had been "stabilised" and its perimeter secured, calling it "the beginning of the end of a terrifying wildfire that has set records for how quickly it spread". More than 500 firefighters and emergency workers were involved in tackling the flames, which advanced at speeds of up to 100 metres per minute.

The fire has been contained within its perimeter and brought under control, with no danger of flames spreading.

Human toll and the missing

At least 12 people were initially confirmed dead, most of them trapped in vehicles or trying to flee on foot. A 93-year-old woman, believed to be British, died of her injuries in hospital on Sunday, raising the toll to 13. Most of the victims are thought to be British and Belgian nationals, along with one Spaniard. Forensic scientists in Madrid are using DNA samples to identify the dead. At least 23 people remain unaccounted for, according to The New York Times, while the Civil Guard cautioned that the number of missing remains uncertain until autopsies and body identification are completed.

It's just devastation, totally devastated. There have been fires in the past but nothing as bad as we experienced now.

Survivors found in ravine

Two British hikers were found alive but badly burned by Guardia Civil officers searching the charred landscape near Bédar. The man and woman, who have not been identified, were semi-conscious with burns covering 40% of their bodies and were airlifted to hospital in a two-hour rescue operation. Sgt Pedro Barre, one of the officers involved, told Spain's TVE that they heard a sound in the distance and decided to search again. "We'll never forget that look of surprise and emotion on their faces," he said.

Being able to call out in the condition they were in was a titanic effort.

Evacuations and returns

Around 1,400 people were evacuated from the fire zone. Some 600 returned home late on Saturday, and the remaining 1,000 evacuees were authorised to return in stages on Sunday. Burned-out vehicles still line roads where people were trapped as the fire swept through. Nicki Wilkinson, a British expat living in nearby Mojacar, described the fire as "the biggest fire we've ever seen" and warned that the impact "has been massive, and it's only just begun".

Climate context and cause

Spain's deputy prime minister, Félix Bolaños, linked the disaster to climate change, stating that the country is "experiencing wildfires unlike anything we have seen before". A sustained heatwave with temperatures around 40C has caused wildfires across southern Europe this summer. A downed power line falling onto dry vegetation is believed to have sparked the Almería fire, though local electricity companies have denied this. Juan Manuel Moreno said the dry weather, caused by high winds and several heatwaves fuelled by the climate crisis, had made the area a "ticking timebomb" for a wildfire.

Climate change -- the climate emergency -- is evident. A wildfire like this advanced at 100 meters per minute. We have never seen such ferocity here.