Spain wildfire death toll rises to 12

MADRID – A wildfire that ripped through a hamlet in southern Spain killed 12 people, authorities said on July 10, as a heatwave stifled swathes of the country.

Some of the dead in Bedar in Almeria province were found in vehicles, the regional government said in a statement, revising an earlier toll of six dead.

Around 150 firefighters backed by five fire trucks battled the blaze which broke out as temperatures neared 40 deg C.

The fire injured at least six people, including a woman who suffered burns and another person with smoke inhalation who were taken to hospital.

Authorities raised the death toll to 12 “after the confirmation of six more deaths in the area of the fire,” the regional government of Andalusia said in a statement.

Regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz called the deaths “an unprecedented tragedy”, adding in the statement that “the pain is immense”.

Witnesses told authorities the blaze may have started after a power line fell, igniting dry vegetation before spreading rapidly through surrounding woodland.

Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire.

Roads were closed and residents evacuated as the fire spread, with about 50 people housed in a cultural centre.

Spain’s Military Emergency Unit, which is deployed in major emergencies, was due to join firefighting efforts in the coming hours.

Frequent heatwaves

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X that he was “deeply saddened and devastated by the terrible consequences of the wildfire”.

He said in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response in 2026.

The head of the regional government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, called the blaze “a tragedy”.

“Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief,” he wrote on X.

The wildfire comes as Spain swelters in a heatwave, with scorching temperatures triggering orange weather warnings – the second highest level – across parts of Andalusia in recent days.

Spain has experienced increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40 deg C, creating conditions for major wildfires.

The country registered its third-warmest year on record in 2025, with 25 single-day heat records set during the period, national weather agency AEMET said.

Earlier in June, hundreds of firefighters battled a wildfire that raged near the popular Mediterranean tourist destination of Costa Brava and forced thousands to stay indoors.

Strong winds whipped up the fire and prompted regional authorities to urge residents of 10 municipalities to remain at home, including at the popular Platja d’Aro beach resort.

Deadly wildfires devoured almost 400,000 hectares of land in 2025, the highest figure recorded for the country by the European Forest Fire Information System. AFP