ALMERÍA, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – At least 12 people died and 23 remained missing on Saturday after a fast-moving wildfire swept through Almería province in southern Spain. The blaze continued burning near Los Gallardos and Bédar after scorching about 5,000 hectares of forest, scrubland and farmland. Eight people suffered injuries, including four in serious condition. Emergency crews moved more than 1,400 residents from threatened communities as strong winds and steep terrain complicated firefighting operations.
Authorities said most victims appeared to be foreign residents, although forensic teams had not completed formal identifications. Crews found four victims inside one burned vehicle and located several others along routes through the fire zone. Some had left their vehicles and continued on foot as flames crossed local roads. Officials said one confirmed victim was Spanish. Investigators relied on autopsies and DNA testing because intense heat had made visual identification difficult.
The wildfire began late Thursday in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Regional officials said the flames travelled about 15 kilometers within two hours as shifting winds drove the fire across dry vegetation. Local police and mayors delivered instructions door to door because conditions differed between villages. Authorities told some residents to evacuate along designated routes, while others received orders to remain inside their homes.
Search continues for 23 missing people
Search teams kept 23 people on the missing list while checking reports from relatives and residents. Officials stressed that the figure included people whose locations remained unknown, not confirmed additional deaths. Forensic teams completed autopsies on the 12 recovered bodies but had not established their identities by Saturday. Medical teams transferred four seriously injured patients to Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville. Four other people received treatment for less severe injuries.
About 150 firefighters and 220 members of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit worked across the affected area. Aircraft supported ground crews as they protected homes and tried to contain separate fronts. Police restricted access on several roads while emergency teams moved equipment through the mountainous fire zone. The Junta de Andalucía declared three days of official mourning for the victims. Authorities also opened assistance services for displaced residents and relatives seeking information about missing family members.
Investigators examine fire’s origin
Spain’s Civil Guard investigated the source of the Los Gallardos wildfire. Regional officials said initial evidence pointed to an electrical cable that fell beside a road before flames appeared. A utility company disputed that account and said the cable carried no electrical current. Authorities had not announced a final cause by Saturday. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences to the victims’ families, while regional President Juanma Moreno urged residents to follow all emergency instructions.
The Los Gallardos wildfire ranks among Spain’s deadliest recorded forest fires. Its confirmed toll exceeded the 2005 Guadalajara fire, which killed 11 firefighters. Early summer heatwaves had dried vegetation across large parts of Spain before the Almería blaze began. About 57,000 hectares had already burned nationwide this year, according to European fire monitoring data. Firefighters continued working on Saturday as rescue teams searched burned roads and rural tracks across the affected communities.