SPAIN WILDFIRE KILLS AT LEAST 12 NEAR LOS GALLARDOS

A wildfire in southern Spain has killed at least 12 people and left 23 others missing in Almeria province, making it one of the country's deadliest recent fire disasters, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The fire spread through a remote area near Los Gallardos and Bedar, affecting an expatriate community in the hills of Andalusia.

Reuters reported that many victims died after trying to flee by car from the village of Bedar, which was ultimately spared by the flames. Authorities said residents had been advised to shelter in place, but some people drove into the fire zone and became trapped in vehicles or while trying to escape on foot.

Four victims were believed to be British nationals after bodies were found in a right-hand-drive vehicle near Bedar, regional authorities said. Some victims were trapped after taking alternative escape routes, including a dry riverbed that officials described as becoming a death trap.

The Associated Press reported that the fire scorched about 66 square kilometres of forest and farmland near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft, continued battling the blaze despite lighter winds and higher humidity that gave crews some improved conditions.

More than 1,400 people were evacuated, according to AP. Reuters reported that local officials did not send a mass text alert, saying instead that authorities went door to door with evacuation and shelter instructions because conditions were changing quickly and the safest advice differed by location.

The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon during a period of extreme heat and dry conditions across southern Europe. AP reported that Spanish authorities attributed the severity of the blaze to climate change and warned that heat, dry vegetation and difficult terrain had increased the danger for residents and firefighters.

The disaster has also raised questions about emergency communication. Reuters reported that survivors described confusion over whether to flee or remain sheltered, while regional officials emphasized that residents must follow official instructions during fast-moving fires.

The immediate questions are whether search teams find the missing, whether the death toll rises, and whether investigators determine how the fire started. Authorities are also expected to review how evacuation and shelter-in-place guidance was communicated as Spain confronts another deadly wildfire season.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, NPR, CNN, NBC News, CBS News