Spain Wildfires Kill at Least 12 and Leave 23 Missing in Almeria
At least 12 people have died and 23 others remain missing after a fast-moving wildfire tore through the Los Gallardos area of Almería in southern Spain, one of the country's deadliest blazes in 20 years. Spain wildfires have claimed lives in the Los Gallardos area of Almería province, where officials continue to battle the flames.
Casualties and Missing Persons
At least 12 people have died and 23 remain missing after the wildfire. [3] Four of the dead were likely British nationals, identified by the right-hand drive of their vehicle. [2] Eight other victims were found after they abandoned vehicles and attempted to flee on foot. [2] Authorities stated that many of the victims died after ignoring instructions to stay indoors. [2] Four people remain in hospital with serious injuries. [5] The victims included foreign nationals caught while trying to escape near the village of Bédar. [5]
Origin and Rapid Spread of the Fire
The fire appears to have started on Thursday afternoon when an electricity pole fell in woodland and sparked a blaze. [1] The wildfire spread across dry hillsides in Almería province. [5] Witnesses described the fire as "like a bomb has fallen" on the municipality. [1] Eyewitnesses recounted the fire's "unbelievably quick" spread across the landscape. [1]
Eyewitness Accounts from British Visitors and Residents
Lucinda Curtois arrived in Spain with her partner Riyaz Cheytan and their teenage children for a holiday on Thursday. [1] They were in the pool in Bédar when neighbours warned them of an evacuation notice. [1] Within 15 minutes there was a tiny bit of haze, to black smoke, to flames, Curtois told the BBC. [1] The family grabbed a change of clothes, bundled into the car and headed for the main road. [1] They turned the corner and the fire was there, with two coaches of people evacuating too, said Cheytan. [1] As they drove away it was almost like there was a mushroom cloud of smoke, it was like a bomb had gone off, Curtois said. [1] Fellow Brit Peter Chapman was with his wife Shelagh at their holiday home in Mojacar when he first noticed the sky darkening. [1] Then there was that smell of smoke in the air, he told the BBC. [1] You could see a glow in the sky in the distance, Chapman said, describing it as surreal like the London bombings during the Second World War. [1] Peter Rowlinson, who lives in Los Gallardos, said the experience had been very frightening. [1] He left last night as the smoke was horrendous, and the house is still there but there is ash everywhere. [1] Andrew Mills, who is semi-retired and moved to Spain five years ago, said within two hours that whole set of mountains was alight. [1] Los Gallardos resident Jose Antonio Flores watched as flames engulfed the land he had tended for decades. [1] Pointing to his son, he said he raised him there where the fire is and had 600 orange trees. [1]
Emergency Response Efforts
Hundreds of firefighters, military and law enforcement personnel, and 30 aircraft continued responding to the blaze on Friday. [1] About 150 rescuers and 220 Spanish army soldiers have fought the flames. [2] Water and fire retardant chemicals have been dropped on the area. [2] The European Union has sent a record number of firefighters and rescue aircraft to high-risk wildfire areas. [2]
Impact on Land and Local Community
The blaze has destroyed over 3,200 hectares of forest and farmland. [2] Hundreds of people have been displaced. [1] Local communities offered shelter to displaced people, with many locals offering spare rooms, bars and restaurants. [1] There is a real sense of community in the whole area, Rowlinson said. [1] Los Gallardos mayor Francisco Miguel Reyes told Spanish radio station Cadena SER that this is the first time we have faced a fire as devastating as this. [1] When I think about how everything was before the fire started and see how it is now, it is breathtaking, Reyes said. [1]
Context Within Europe's Fire Season
This is Spain's deadliest wildfire in two decades. [3] Spain now accounts for around 40% of all land burned across the continent. [3] Last year the wildfire season in Spain burned over 393,000 hectares and four people died. [2] EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said this year's fire season starts earlier, lasts longer and hits harder. [2]
What to watch next: Firefighters and military personnel continue efforts to contain the blaze while authorities search for the missing.
