A fast-moving wildfire in Bedar, Spain, killed at least 12 people after breaking out on Thursday afternoon near the N-340 highway in Los Gallardos in Almeria province. Strong winds pushed the flames into Bedar, and emergency crews were still searching on Friday as about 50 evacuated residents sheltered at a local cultural centre.
Juanma Moreno said 19 people remained unaccounted for. Emergency services found several victims trapped inside vehicles while they tried to flee a rural hamlet, and authorities said six other people were injured, including a woman with severe burns and another patient hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Andalusia emergency response
More than 300 emergency personnel were battling the blaze, including 150 specialists from Spain’s Military Emergency Unit. Heavy smoke forced regional traffic authorities to close two major highways in the area, cutting off access while crews worked along the fire’s edge and kept searching for missing people.
Antonio Sanz called it “the most devastating fire to date in our region” and “an unprecedented tragedy.” He also said, “The pain is immense. Andalusia is in mourning, and our hearts go out to Almería and all those affected.”
Fire cause under investigation
Authorities had not pinpointed the cause of the fire. Local media reports suggested a downed power line may have ignited the dry brush, but that account was still only a report while investigators continued their work.
Pedro Sanchez said Spain had planned to deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response earlier this year and wrote of “enormous sadness and devastation” as emergency services and security forces mobilized alongside UME. The fire came as heatwaves across Europe, which the World Meteorological Organization said is warming at more than twice the global average, left dry ground ready to burn.
The next step for people in Bedar and Los Gallardos is the search operation itself: crews are still looking for the unaccounted-for residents while emergency shelters remain open for those forced out of their homes.
