At least 12 people have been killed in wildfires in Spain’s southern region of Almeria, officials said Friday, as extreme heat spreads across the region.
By late Thursday evening, six people had died in a village in Bedar, some of whose bodies were found trapped in vehicles. Andalusia’s regional government said in a statement Friday morning that six more bodies had been discovered in Los Gallardos.
Andalusian President Antonio Sanz, Minister of Health and Emergencies, described the situation as an “unprecedented tragedy”.
“There are no words for such pain. This is terrible news and today the hearts of all Andalusians are in mourning,” he said after the new death toll was announced.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed sadness over the deaths in a post on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Saenz urged residents to avoid affected areas, not take any risks and choose escape routes after coordinating with emergency services.
“The absolute priority at the moment is to save lives and all operational services are working tirelessly to achieve this,” he said.
Other injured residents were treated for minor burns and breathing problems caused by smoke.
Spain’s emergency services are tackling the flames
Authorities have deployed about 150 personnel from the military emergency unit to control the spreading fire.
They are being joined by approximately 150 other firefighters supported by five fire trucks, fire fighting technicians and medical units.
Residents of several neighborhoods, including Almocazar, Fuente del Alberico, Los Pinos, La Serena and El Pinar, were evacuated.
What caused the forest fire?
Earlier, witnesses told officials that the fire may have been caused by a fallen power line, which ignited dry vegetation.
Officials have not confirmed whether this was the cause of the fire.
Spain, among other European countries, is facing a heat wave with scorching temperatures, prompting orange weather warnings to be issued in recent days. This is the second highest level of alert, indicating significant danger.
High temperatures dry out vegetation, increasing the risk of forest fires.
In May, Sanchez said Spain would launch its largest wildfire response ever this year.
Spain recorded its worst wildfire in recent history in 2025, burning more than 393,000 hectares (971,000 acres), or nearly three times the size of Los Angeles, US, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
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Edited by: Shawn Sinico