In brief
A wildfire that erupted in the Los Gallardos area of Almería claimed at least 12 lives and left 23 people missing. The fire began when a fallen electricity pole ignited dry woodland, spreading in a matter of minutes. Witnesses described the blaze as a 'bomb has fallen' and 'unbelievably quick'. The family of Lucinda Curtois and Riyaz Cheytan were forced into evacuation when the smoke covered their holiday pool, and they fled to a local hotel while friends of their community remain missing. Responders—including firefighters, military, and aircraft—faced the blaze amid a broader Spanish summer wildfire crisis that underscores high temperatures and windy conditions.
A wildfire that erupted in the Los Gallardos area of Almería has claimed at least 12 lives and left 23 people missing, according to emergency officials.
The blaze began after an electricity pole collapsed in woodland, igniting dry vegetation that spread across the hillside in under an hour, turning the landscape into a sea of black smoke.
Witnesses described the speed of the fire, saying it was "like a bomb has fallen" and "unbelievably quick."
Lucinda Curtois and Riyaz Cheytan were at a holiday pool in Bédar when the evacuation notice sounded. Within fifteen minutes the water turned to haze, then smoke, and finally blazing flames, according to Curtois said to the BBC.
The couple fled in their car only to find the road blocked by burning flames and other evacuation traffic. They had to turn back and find another route, and finally reached a local hotel around thirty minutes away. Friends walking to evacuate remain missing.
Community volunteers and emergency services—firefighters, military personnel, and 30 aircraft—worked to contain the blaze, despite the rapid spread. Local residents offered spare rooms, bars and restaurants, creating a sense of solidarity amid the crisis.
Mayor Francisco Miguel Reyes called the fire the most devastating he had seen, noting that the smoke still hangs over his house and that many locals have been displaced.
The disaster highlights the risks of summer wildfires across southern Spain, where high temperatures and strong winds fuel rapid fire spread and leave communities in peril.
This incident underscores the need for better preparedness, community coordination, and fire prevention measures to protect lives and livelihoods during increasingly intense heatwaves.
