At least 12 killed as wildfire traps residents fleeing by car in southern Spain

Fire breaks out near Los Gallardos

The wildfire began on Thursday afternoon near the 511th kilometre of the N-340A road in the Los Gallardos area of Almería province. According to witness accounts cited by emergency services, a power cable fell onto dry vegetation, igniting the blaze. Strong winds and temperatures during an ongoing heatwave caused the fire to spread rapidly through the mountainous terrain. The province was under an orange alert, the second-highest warning level, due to the extreme fire risk.

Residents trapped fleeing by car

Despite door-to-door advice from mayors and police to shelter in place, many residents attempted to escape by car. A right-hand-drive vehicle carrying four people, believed to be British nationals, was found completely burned. Regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz said a further eight victims were discovered scattered along the fire's path after abandoning their cars and trying to flee on foot. A photo from the scene shows four burned vehicles on a mountain track. Regional president Juanma Moreno described discovering a body that was totally covered by another, saying the two had died in an embrace.

Please, always follow the recommendations of the authorities, always, I beg you... because in these types of fires, the wind changes direction, so the fire can approach you from the south and then turn another way.

Casualties and missing

Authorities confirmed 12 dead as of Friday morning, after initially reporting six and later correcting the toll. Most victims are believed to be foreign residents, including Britons and Belgians. Another 23 people remain unaccounted for, and officials cautioned the figures are provisional. Eight people were injured, four of them seriously with burns, and were transferred to Virgen del Rocío hospital in Seville.

It is an unprecedented tragedy, the pain is enormous.

Emergency response

Approximately 150 firefighters worked through the night alongside five engines, while the Military Emergency Unit deployed 150 additional troops. Over 150 emergency calls were received immediately after ignition. Roads were closed, and around 1,000 people were evacuated as a precaution; about 50 were sheltered temporarily in a local cultural centre. One woman with burns and another person suffering smoke inhalation were hospitalised. The difficult terrain with many ravines complicated access for emergency crews.

Political reactions

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed "enormous sadness and grief" over the tragic consequences and offered condolences to the victims' families. He urged emergency workers to exercise caution.

We are devastated by the pain.

Andalusia's President Moreno said that no SMS alert was sent because evacuation instructions differed by location within the mountainous area and the rapidly changing conditions. Sánchez had announced in May that Spain would deploy its largest ever summer wildfire fighting force this year.