A devastating wildfire in southern Spain has claimed at least 12 lives, with 23 people still unaccounted for as firefighting and emergency teams continue their efforts to contain the blaze. The fire, which erupted on Thursday afternoon in Los Gallardos, Andalusia, has become one of the deadliest on record in the country. It has also forced more than 1,400 residents to evacuate, many of whom sought shelter in sports halls or hotels, according to Antonio Sanz Cabello, Andalusia’s health minister.
Authorities traced the origin of the fire to a broken cable in a roadside ditch. Although firefighting crews responded promptly, strong winds caused rapid spread, engulfing approximately 16,000 acres of woodland by Saturday and driving the flames nearly 10 miles within two hours. About 400 firefighters, supplemented by military reinforcements, have been working through the night and into the weekend to manage the fire's left flank and head, while many affected hillsides continue to smolder.
The majority of fatalities have been reported among foreign nationals, including citizens from Belgium and Britain. Regional officials confirmed that four British victims were found inside a high-end vehicle. Belgium’s Foreign Ministry noted that some Belgian nationals remained missing following the fire. One notable case involved Belgian bed-and-breakfast owners Isabelle Weyn and Stefan Broods from the hamlet of Bédar, who documented their urgent evacuation as flames encroached. They fled after receiving police evacuation orders.
Emergency services have been engaged in extensive door-to-door alerts across scattered farms and villages, advising residents to either shelter in place or follow specific evacuation routes based on their location. However, some residents reportedly disregarded official instructions. Ángel Collado, mayor of Bédar, recounted that a group of nine people ignored advice to remain indoors, instead attempting to flee via an unauthorized route that ended in a cul-de-sac on a farm, effectively trapping them. Seven of those individuals later died.
The wildfire’s intensity reflects broader trends linked to this summer’s extreme heatwaves affecting Europe, which have heightened wildfire risks. Félix Bolaños, Spain’s deputy prime minister, described the scale and speed of the fire as unprecedented, attributing its severity to the growing impacts of climate change. Across Europe, the situation is similarly troubling. In France, over 8,000 wildfires have burned an area nearly twice the size of last year’s figures at this time, with more than 10,000 people forced from their homes in the Pyrenees region alone.
Despite cooler temperatures reported in southern Spain on Saturday, the Forest Fire Extinction Service of Andalusia cautioned that wildfire risks remain elevated as conditions continue to favor the rapid spread of fires. Emergency officials and government leaders have reiterated the need for vigilance and adherence to evacuation protocols to mitigate further loss of life.