Spain wildfire kills 11 in Almeria as extreme heat fuels fast-moving blaze

Madrid,UPDATED: Jul 10, 2026 17:20 IST

At least 11 people were killed in a wildfire in southern Spain overnight into Friday morning, authorities said, making it one of the country’s deadliest fires on record as very high temperatures grip much of the country. Eight other people were injured in the blaze, which was being tackled by 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit.

Regional authorities said the victims appeared to include four British nationals as well as other foreign nationals. Andalusia’s regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno told Cadena Ser radio that 19 people were unaccounted for. Authorities had earlier reported 12 deaths, but revised the toll to 11 on Friday morning.

The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains, in Almeria, a popular holiday destination. 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.

Several victims were found inside burnt-out vehicles. Antonio Sanz, president of Andalusia’s emergency services, said most of those who died were trying to escape and had ignored instructions to stay where they were. He said one group tried to flee through a dry riverbed, which “turned into a death trap”. Seven people died on foot after leaving their cars, likely while looking for a way out, he said.

“The consequences have been terrible. Everything seems to indicate that, in the case of the deceased ... we are dealing for the most part, if not entirely, with foreign nationals,” Sanz said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez expressed his condolences, writing on X: “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 rising above 40 degrees Celsius. Wind, high temperatures and low rainfall can allow small wildfires to grow rapidly. In June, Spain recorded several days of extreme heat, with more than 1,000 excess deaths attributed to it.

Across Europe, temperatures are rising quickly. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has said Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the global average since the 1980s. Parts of Western Europe are facing their third heatwave in six weeks. Globally, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, bringing several intense heatwaves across Europe.

France is also in the peak of its third heatwave of the summer, with temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius in western and central areas and about 37 degrees Celsius in Paris. French authorities have warned of a very high wildfire risk after large fires in the south scorched thousands of hectares this week, disrupted the Tour de France and stretched firefighting resources. The biggest fire, in the eastern Pyrenees near the Spanish border, has eased in intensity, authorities said on Friday. It burned about 5,000 hectares and forced more than 10,000 people from nearby villages to leave, though they have since been allowed to return. Last month was France’s hottest June on record, with deaths rising by nearly a third during the hottest week. Scientists warn that climate change, caused in part by the burning of fuels such as petrol, oil and coal, is worsening the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness and making some regions more vulnerable to wildfires.

Spain has dealt with deadly fires before. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, last year’s fire season burned more than 393,000 hectares in the country, an area twice as large as London, and killed four people. In neighbouring Portugal in 2017, a wildfire killed 66 people in Pedrogao Grande, about 200 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, including 47 people who died on one road while trying to flee in their cars. The latest fire in Almeria has again highlighted the danger posed by fast-moving blazes during extreme heat.

With PTI Inputs

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