Nineteen people remain unaccounted for following the deadly wildfire in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia as emergency services continue search and rescue operations in the area, Andalusia’s regional leader Juanma Moreno told radio today.
The blaze near Almeria has killed at least 11 people, making it Spain’s deadliest wildfire in more than two decades, reports RTE.
Andalusia’s head of emergencies Antonio Sanz said 150 firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.
Mr Sanz said the fire had spread extremely rapidly in a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province, affecting particularly the nearby hamlet of Bedar, reports RTE.
He said the authorities had told residents to stay in their homes and that the deaths appeared to have occurred when people decided to try to evacuate in their cars.
Four people, who appeared to be British as the steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, while seven others were found dead after apparently abandoning their cars and attempting to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan, reports RTE.
Another four people were being treated in hospital for serious burns, Mr Sanz said.
He urged residents to follow official instructions and avoid taking risks as authorities focused on saving lives, reports RTE.
There is no information yet as to whether any Irish people have been affected by the wildfire.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said Irish “citizens in the affected area are advised to follow the instructions of the local authorities,” reports RTE.
In a post on X, she said: “Irish citizens affected by the wildfires who require assistance can contact the embassy on +34 91 4364093.”
Witnesses told authorities the blaze may have started after a power line fell, igniting dry vegetation before spreading rapidly through surrounding woodland, though authorities have not confirmed the cause, reports RTE.
The death toll makes it Spain’s deadliest wildfire since 2005, when 11 firefighters were killed in a blaze in the central province of Guadalajara that was sparked by a barbecue and burned thousands of hectares of forest.
That disaster, considered one of the country’s worst wildfire tragedies, prompted major changes to Spain’s wildfire prevention and emergency response systems, reports RTE.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he felt “enormous sadness and devastation” over the consequences of the fire, offering his condolences to the families of those killed and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
In a post on X, he said emergency services, security forces and the military emergency unit had been mobilised to combat the blaze and urged residents to exercise caution, reports RTE.
The latest blaze comes after a wildfire burning out of control in southern France earlier this week forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border.
Early summer heatwaves across western Europe in May and June have parched vast areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year, reports RTE.
Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Organization has said, making prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.
The head of the regional government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, called the blaze “a tragedy,” reports RTE.
“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, reports RTE.
Spain has experienced increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40C, 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, reports RTE.
Earlier this month, 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, reports RTE.
Deadly wildfires devoured almost 400,000 hectares of land last year, the highest figure recorded for the country by the European Forest Fire Information System.
Spain’s King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their two daughters observed a minute of silence today for the victims of the wildfire, reports RTE.
The king cut short his appearance at a ceremony marking the completion of his eldest daughter Princess Leonor’s military training to express condolences to those affected by the disaster in Almeria.
“From this place, located some 150km from where this tragedy occurred, we want to convey our condolences, our affection and our support to all those who have lost loved ones,” he said, reports RTE.
King Felipe added that he would not attend a reception scheduled after the ceremony, calling the decision the “appropriate” one given the scale of the tragedy, reports RTE.
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