A rapidly spreading wildfire trapped and killed at least 12 people of different nationalities in southern Spain on Thursday 9 July, in one of the country’s deadliest blazes in recent years.

According to initial investigations, the fire began in the Los Gallardos region of Almería province, an area of rugged terrain full of ravines and scattered houses, trapping people who tried to flee.

The blaze, which remains out of control, has left eight people injured, four of them in serious condition. Some 1 405 people have been evacuated. More than 500 emergency personnel, including members of Spain’s Military Emergency Unit, are battling the flames.

According to initial investigations, the fire started after an electricity cable ruptured in a ditch. Strong winds made it uncontrollable, and within two hours it had advanced 15 km.

The blaze comes just weeks after a devastating heatwave swept across Europe in June, claiming more than 200 lives in Spain alone and triggering thousands of evacuations as wildfires tore through southern Europe.

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The region, a few kilometres from the Andalusian Mediterranean coast, is home to many foreign residents, including a substantial British community.

Missing persons and identification

Some reports indicated that 23 people had still not been located, but interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who visited the site on Friday (10 July) afternoon, called for caution regarding this number.

The 23 are being sought based on testimonies and telephone calls, the minister said, adding that only three missing persons reports had been filed.

According to the Andalusian authority for emergencies, Antonio Sanz, four of the victims were in a car with a right-hand steering wheel, suggesting they could be of British nationality. The other seven may have tried to flee on foot when they found themselves trapped by the flames.

Autopsies were performed on the 12 bodies and biological samples were transferred to Madrid for identification.

Evacuation warnings ignored

The mayor of Bédar, Ángel Francisco Collado, said residents were warned door to door, but a group of people “did not listen”. Seven died, he said.

Víctor Fernández, parish priest of Bédar and Los Gallardos, explained to Cadena Cope radio that many foreigners live in the region. “The majority are of advanced age and found a refuge of peace in this region”, he said.

Many relatives used social media to try to locate their loved ones, including Danielle Gillam-Kirton, who was asking for information about her parents, residents of Bédar.

“We are trying to contact them to check if they are okay. My mother wrote to me yesterday at 18:53 to tell us they were being evacuated.”

Weather conditions improve

Weather conditions on Saturday (11 July) are expected to help firefighters’ efforts, with the state meteorological agency Aemet forecasting moderate easterly winds and cooler, more humid air.

The rapid spread of the fire transformed the region into “a kind of trap”, according to the president of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, who described the incident as “a tragedy of enormous proportions”.

National mourning

Prime minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his “enormous sadness” over the fire on X and called for caution.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia observed a minute of silence on Friday (10 July) in tribute to the victims and shortened their participation in a military ceremony as a sign of mourning.

“We want to convey our condolences, our affection and our support to all those who have lost loved ones”, the monarch said.

Players, coaches and fans paid tribute with a minute of silence before Spain’s FIFA World Cup match against Belgium in the quarter-finals in Los Angeles.

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