Spain wildfire kills 11 in Almeria as extreme heat fans deadly blaze

Madrid,UPDATED: Jul 10, 2026 13:38 IST

A wildfire in southern Spain has killed at least 11 people, authorities said early Friday, making it one of the country’s deadliest fires on record as extreme heat grips large parts of the country. Six people have also been injured, and emergency teams continued to battle the blaze.

The fire, in Almeria province, comes as Spain faces soaring temperatures and a fresh spell of intense heat across Western Europe. Officials had earlier said 12 people had died, but revised the toll to 11 on Friday morning.

Several victims were found inside burnt-out vehicles, local media reported. The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Authorities have not confirmed the cause, but said people who called to report the fire said a fallen power line had sparked a blaze that spread quickly into a nearby forest.

The fire led to road closures and the evacuation of 1,000 residents, according to emergency services. Around 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit were deployed to tackle the blaze on Friday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez expressed his condolences, writing on X of his “immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almeria”. Spain has faced frequent and severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often crossing 40°C. Wind, high temperatures and low rainfall can allow small wildfires to grow rapidly into major blazes.

In June, Spain saw several days of record heat, with more than 1,000 excess deaths linked to high temperatures. Parts of Western Europe are now facing their third heatwave in six weeks. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. The wildfire in Almeria has added to the toll of an intense summer marked by heat, evacuations and a major firefighting effort.

With PTI Inputs

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