Forest fire kills at least 12 in southern Spain

At least 12 people have been killed in a forest fire that broke out on Thursday in the Los Gallardos municipality, situated in the Almeria province of Spain’s southern Andalusia region, according to a report by the broadcaster RTVE. Andalusia’s emergency services stated that the victims were located in a hamlet of the neighbouring municipality of Bedar, with some of the bodies discovered inside vehicles that had been completely engulfed by the flames.

​Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s acting minister for Health, the Presidency and Emergencies, formally described the blaze as the fire with the greatest consequences to date in the region, calling the event an unprecedented tragedy.

​As the fire continued to spread rapidly, authorities officially raised the region’s wildfire response plan to the emergency phase. To reinforce the ongoing firefighting efforts on the ground, Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) deployed 150 personnel to the affected areas. The intense fire and the resulting heavy smoke also forced officials to implement the complete closure of two major roads within the province.

​Separately, another forest fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in the southern province of Malaga, forcing the precautionary evacuation of around 1,000 people from their homes. That second fire remains active, with nearly 180 personnel continuing their dedicated operational efforts to stabilise the blaze.