Wildfire near Bedar, Almería kills 12 as authorities battle remaining fires

One of Spain’s worst recent wildfires struck the area around Bedar in Almería on Thursday, the regional health and emergencies minister Antonio Sanz said, killing 12 people and leaving 23 missing as firefighters and emergency teams work to contain remaining pockets of fire.

Temperatures around 40C, dry ground and strong winds helped the Los Gallardos fire spread rapidly on Thursday afternoon, local officials said. Authorities reported the blaze moved quickly through the countryside around Bedar and nearby Los Gallardos, where many foreign residents live.

Sanz said the incident was complex and that the majority or possibly all of the victims could be foreign nationals. Spanish officials have not yet released the identities of the deceased.

The Spanish authorities indicated the blaze has been attributed to a fallen power line, though local electricity companies have denied responsibility. No additional official details were provided about four people found dead in a burnt-out car; Sanz said they were believed to be “of British origin” and that the vehicle had a right-hand steering wheel.

Survivors described chaotic escapes from the area. Lucinda Curtois, who arrived in Spain with her partner and two teenage children on the day the fire began, told the BBC she saw a “mushroom cloud of smoke” and feared at least two other UK nationals were killed after leaving their homes on foot when roads were cut off.

Consular teams in several countries were seeking contacts with residents in the area. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said consular services were trying to reach Belgians with second homes in the region who could not be contacted.

The Andalusian branch of the national weather agency AEMET said conditions were expected to be “rather more favourable” on Saturday, with moderated winds and cooler air that should aid firefighting efforts. Hundreds of firefighters and specialists remain deployed around the affected area.

With at least 12 confirmed deaths, officials noted this fire ranks among the deadliest in recent Spanish history; previous catastrophic blazes include a 1984 fire on La Gomera that killed 20 and a 1979 forest fire near Lloret de Mar that killed 21 people.

Authorities cautioned that the death toll could rise as search and rescue and forensic work continue. Sanz and local officials emphasized the rapid development of the fire and the challenges it posed for evacuation and response teams.

Climate experts point to rising temperatures across Europe, where warming is proceeding faster than the global average, as a factor increasing the frequency and intensity of summer heatwaves and wildfires, placing added pressure on emergency services and water resources.