Six killed in Los Gallardos wildfire as Andalusian authorities declare emergency
A forest fire in Los Gallardos, Almería province, claimed six lives on Thursday, with victims found in vehicles and a rural building. The blaze prompted mass evacuations and the deployment of over 100 firefighters and the military emergency unit.
Outbreak and escalation
A forest fire ignited on Thursday afternoon in the municipality of Los Gallardos, in Almería province, southeastern Spain. The blaze erupted during an intense heatwave, and by early evening it had forced the regional emergency service, Plan Infoca, to declare an emergency phase 1 at 20:07. Antonio Sanz, the regional councillor for the presidency, health and emergencies, announced the escalation and urged residents to stay away from the affected areas. Shortly afterwards, preventive evacuations began in several hamlets near Bédar, including Almocáizar, El Albarico, and Los Pinos.
- Fire starts in a paraje of Los Gallardos.
- Plan Infoca raises alert to emergency phase 1; preventive evacuations begin.
- Situation elevated to operative level 2; UME deployment requested.
- Six fatalities confirmed; some bodies found in vehicles and a cortijo.
Fatalities and injuries
Later in the evening, the death toll became clear. Emergency services confirmed that six people had died, with some bodies discovered inside vehicles and others in a rural building (cortijo) in a hamlet of Bédar. The identities and circumstances of the victims were not immediately released. At least three injuries were also recorded: a man and a woman with burns, and one person suffering from smoke inhalation. The injured were taken to Torrecárdenas Hospital in the city of Almería.
It is terrible news, today the hearts of all Andalusians are in mourning.
Response deployment
Firefighting resources were rapidly scaled up. Initially around 50 forest firefighters and two water tenders were on the ground, supported by aerial means. By late evening, the operation had grown to 105 ground personnel, three water tenders, six ground-loading aircraft, one heavy amphibious plane, a coordination plane, a light helicopter, six medium helicopters, a command helicopter and a medical unit. At 22:37 the situation was raised to operational level 2, prompting the activation of Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), with troops from the second intervention battalion dispatched to the area.
Affected communities and precautions
Residents of several hamlets near Bédar were evacuated as a precaution: Almocáizar, El Albarico, Fuente del Albarico, Serena, Los Pinos and the Pinar de Bédar area. Road closures were put in place on the N-340A and on the A-7 motorway between kilometres 709 and 714 to facilitate emergency traffic. Authorities recommended that the public seal doors and windows, protect children, the elderly and people with health conditions from smoke, and avoid the entire zone.
Official response and context
The fire broke out in the midst of a heatwave, with wind gusts reaching 50 km/h, complicating containment efforts. Andalusia's President Juanma Moreno used social media to call for precaution during the night. The tragedy overshadowed the political agenda: Sanz, who had been appointed first vice‑president of the regional government, was scheduled to be sworn in on Friday at a ceremony in Seville.
