Spain Wildfire Kills 12 as Southern Europe Heatwave Persists
At least 12 people have died in a wildfire in Los Gallardos, a hamlet in the southeastern Spanish province of Almería, the Andalusian regional government confirmed. Six others were injured, with some victims found inside vehicles that were engulfed by the flames.
The blaze spread rapidly to a nearby wooded area. Some witnesses reported that a downed power line may have sparked the fire, but authorities have not yet confirmed the cause. Emergency services evacuated about 1,000 residents and closed several roads in the area.
Approximately 150 firefighters are battling the fire near the hamlet of Bedar. Among the injured, one person was hospitalised with smoke inhalation, another suffered burns, and four others received treatment for minor burns and respiratory issues.
The head of the regional government, Juanma Moreno, described the deaths as 'a tragedy'. On social media platform X, he wrote: 'Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief.'
Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME) has been deployed to assist in firefighting efforts. In May, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that Spain would deploy its largest summer wildfire response ever this year.
The fire comes amid a sustained heatwave across southern Europe, with temperatures reaching around 40°C (104°F) in parts of Spain, France, and Portugal. Hundreds of wildfires are being fought by firefighters across the region, forcing thousands to leave their homes.
Spain experienced its highest daily average temperatures in June since 1950, with some areas forecast to hit 42°C (107.6°F). Last year, a record 393,000 hectares (971,000 acres) burned in Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) — more than six times the country's average between 2006 and 2024.
Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service. Climate change is driving up temperatures worldwide, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, greater pressure on water supplies, and more severe wildfires.
Last year, the European Union recorded its worst wildfire season since 2006, with over one million hectares — roughly half the land area of Wales — burning across the bloc. A study by the World Weather Attribution group at Imperial College London linked the worsening fire season in the Mediterranean directly to climate change.
Experts warn that more frequent and severe fires across Europe are likely to continue in the future.
