Spain wildfire kills 12 in Almeria province during intense heatwave

A wildfire in the southeastern province of Almería has resulted in the deaths of 12 people, according to regional authorities. The blaze tore through a hamlet in the municipality of Bedar. Regional emergency services reported that some of the victims were discovered inside vehicles that had been engulfed by the advancing flames.

The incident remains under investigation, though witness accounts provided to local authorities suggest that a fallen power line may have ignited dry vegetation. The fire then spread rapidly through the surrounding woodland. While the exact cause has not been officially confirmed, the situation escalated quickly, prompting regional authorities to raise their wildfire response plan to the emergency phase.

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Approximately 150 firefighters, supported by five fire trucks, were dispatched to contain the blaze. In addition to local crews, Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) was deployed to reinforce the containment operations. Antonio Sanz, the acting minister for Health, the Presidency and Emergencies for Andalusia, described the situation as the fire with the greatest consequences to date in the region and termed it an unprecedented tragedy. He further stated, the pain is immense.

The medical impact of the fire is significant, with at least six people sustaining injuries. Among the injured were a woman who suffered burns and an individual hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Four additional people were treated at the scene for minor burns and respiratory difficulties. Approximately 50 residents have been relocated to a cultural centre, and the spread of the fire and heavy smoke necessitated the closure of two major roads within the province.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the event on the social media platform X, writing that he was deeply saddened and devastated by the terrible consequences of the wildfire. Juanma Moreno, the head of the regional government of Andalusia, also took to X to express his grief, noting, Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief.

The tragedy occurs during an intense heatwave affecting much of southern Europe, with temperatures in the area nearing 40C. Parts of Andalusia have been under orange weather warnings, the second-highest level, due to the extreme heat. The country has seen increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves, often with temperatures exceeding 40C, which experts note create conditions for major wildfires.

The environmental backdrop for this emergency is characterized by high levels of wildfire activity in recent years. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, 393,000 hectares of land were lost to wildfires last year, representing the highest figure recorded for the country. Additionally, national weather agency AEMET reported that 2025 was the third-warmest year on record, featuring 25 single-day heat records.

This latest incident follows a series of recent wildfire challenges across the country. Earlier in July, hundreds of firefighters battled a blaze near the Costa Brava, where strong winds forced authorities to urge residents in 10 municipalities, including the Platja d’Aro beach resort, to remain indoors. another forest fire remained active in the southern province of Malaga. That incident, which broke out Thursday afternoon, prompted the precautionary evacuation of approximately 1,000 people. Nearly 180 personnel are currently working to stabilize that blaze.

Looking ahead, authorities are continuing to manage the active fire fronts and maintain the emergency response, following the commitment made by the Prime Minister in May to deploy the country’s largest-ever summer wildfire response effort.