A wildfire near Los Gallardos in Almería, southern Spain, has killed at least 12 people and left 23 missing (some outlets reported 11 dead and 19 missing), making it one of the country's deadliest wildfires [1][9][18]. The fire, which swept through a tourist and expatriate area amid a severe heatwave, burned approximately 5,000 hectares and forced the preventive evacuation of over 1,400 people [7]. Most or all of the deceased are believed to be foreign nationals, including four British citizens found in a vehicle [1][19][22]. France 24 reported the deployment of 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers [18]; CNA reported 500 firefighters and troops deployed [19].
Andalusian regional president Juanma Moreno stated that the fire appeared to have been caused by a collapsed electrical pole, adding that those responsible for the line's maintenance would be held accountable [1][10][12][24]. Andalusia's emergencies minister Antonio Sanz said "everything appears to point to the collapse of a power line pole, although this will still need to be investigated" [1]. The utility company Endesa contested this account, stating that the fallen cable was a private connection for a restaurant that had been closed for over 25 years and was de-energized, thereby denying any responsibility [13][1]. Engineers and academics separately pointed to the "obsolescence" of Spain's electrical grid, combined with extreme heat and difficult terrain, as creating a "perfect storm" for the fire [16].
Officials attributed many deaths to residents and tourists deviating from the recommended evacuation route. Sanz stated that residents of Bédar were told to take a recommended route or shelter in place, but "a decision was taken to use another route that wasn't the one recommended for evacuation. Looking for another way out via a dry riverbed turned out to be a trap" [3]. Moreno said the instinct to flee is understandable but that routes without proper information "can of course turn into a death trap" [3][4]. Eyewitnesses described the evacuation conditions, with a British woman living in Los Gallardos explaining that the road from Bédar to Los Gallardos was blocked by fire and that authorities directed them to take a back route into the mountains [3]. A local handyman said he left his home of his own accord because smoke made it impossible to shelter in place [3]. Some 400 tourists, mostly British, were evacuated from a holiday complex [20].
The disaster drew competing political responses from Spain's major parties. Miguel Tellado, secretary general of the conservative People's Party (PP), stated that "Spain urgently needs a central government focused solely and exclusively on management" and that better public services could have helped prevent the tragedy [9]. Transport minister Óscar Puente of the Socialist government accused the PP of shamelessly blaming the central government, noting that firefighting personnel cuts fall under regional jurisdiction and that Moreno's government failed to issue a mobile emergency alert [9].
Fire scientist Guillermo Rein of Imperial College London described "the worst possible combination" of ignition in extremely dry vegetation, strong winds, and an unprepared community [6]. Scientist Gustavo Saiz noted that in the area, "just a few weeks without rain during the summer are enough for fine fuels to reach very high levels of flammability" [6]. Forest fire scientist Juan Picos of the University of Vigo stated that the inertia of land abandonment and climate change is enormous and that conditions are likely to worsen before improving [6]. Moreno described the dry vegetation as "perfect fuel" combined with wind creating "a ticking timebomb" [9]. Environmental NGOs WWF and Greenpeace argued that the disaster reflects a systemic lack of political will and investment in wildfire prevention, with Greenpeace's Mónica Parrilla stating that prevention requires 1,000 million euros annually for forest management [14].
Residents and holidaymakers described the fire's speed and intensity. British holiday homeowner Peter Chapman compared the smoke-darkened sky to his mother's descriptions of the London bombings during World War II, calling it "surreal" [1][17]. British tourist Lucinda Curtois described the fire as "really frightening and unbelievably quick," comparing the smoke to a "mushroom cloud" [17]. Semi-retired British resident Andrew Mills said that "within two hours that whole set of mountains was alight, they just had no chance of stopping it" [17]. A resident of Bédar described the fire as "una lengua de fuego" (a tongue of flame) that spread incredibly fast [11]. The mayor of Los Gallardos, Francisco Miguel Reyes Martín, said "it looks like a bomb has gone off in our municipality" [9].
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed "immense sadness and desolation" and conveyed condolences to the victims' families [9]. The King and Queen of Spain expressed grief over the lives lost [2][4]. Sánchez had announced in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever state wildfire response this year [1][21]. The Military Emergency Unit was deployed to assist in containment [7][23]. Singer David Bisbal, an Almería native, dedicated his concert to the victims [7].
The Belgian and UK foreign ministries mobilized consular support for their affected nationals. Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prévot stated that many Belgians have second homes in Spain and that consular services were trying to contact those unaccounted for [1]. UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was "in close contact with the Spanish authorities and stand ready to support those affected" [9]. An evacuated British resident, Jackie Simpson, expressed sorrow for the victims but stated she had no plans to return to the UK, calling Almería a safe place [15].
As of the latest reports, firefighting services continued to monitor active fire zones amid extreme wildfire risk across much of Spain, with AEMET forecasting very high or extreme conditions [7]. Twenty-three people remained unaccounted for [1].