At least 12 people have died and 23 more are missing in one of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record, officials said Friday. Firefighters are battling the blaze, which is scorching a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province.
One Spanish national was among the victims. The majority of those killed appeared to be foreign nationals who attempted to flee the fire in their vehicles, disregarding instructions to shelter in place, according to Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies in the Andalusia region. Four individuals, believed to be British based on the right-hand side of their car's steering wheel, died in one vehicle. Another eight were found dead after apparently abandoning their cars and trying to escape on foot along a route not designated for evacuation. Many of the deceased require DNA identification.
"The fire spread like gunpowder," Juan Manuel Moreno, the regional leader of Andalusia, told reporters, describing the blaze as "one of the quickest and most complex we’ve seen." The fire has so far consumed approximately 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres), with stronger winds anticipated later Friday. Some of the missing may be hikers caught unexpectedly in the woods, rescue workers noted, having found walking sticks at the scene.
The incident bears resemblance to a 2017 wildfire in Portugal that killed over 60 people, many in their cars.
Early Wildfire Season Fueled by Heatwaves
Spain has experienced an early start to its wildfire season this year, with several summer heatwaves leaving large areas parched and susceptible to ignition. Approximately 57,000 hectares have burned so far in 2026, accounting for 40% of the total area burned across the European Union and roughly half the annual average of the past two decades, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
"We usually don’t see these fires until August. They’re starting earlier now because the vegetation dries out sooner," said Roman Garcia, a forest firefighter. A record heatwave in August 2025 led to Spain's worst wildfire season in three decades, charring 330,000 hectares.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had previously acknowledged insufficient wildfire prevention and inadequate forestry management, pledging to prevent future large-scale fires. On Friday, Sanchez expressed condolences to the victims' families, citing "enormous sadness and devastation."
Authorities are working to identify the deceased and locate the missing, while anxious relatives have posted inquiries on social media and local forums. One woman reported her daughter, driving a red Ford Fiesta with her dog, was missing. Another individual from the United States stated their brother was part of a group of 10 attempting to escape through a valley near a stream.
The fire is believed to have been sparked by a broken power cable falling into a ditch near a road, spreading rapidly. However, a spokesperson for the utility company Endesa disputed this, stating the cable was not carrying voltage.
The current death toll surpasses that of a 2005 wildfire in central Spain that killed 11 firefighters.
Moreno warned that Spain faces a challenging wildfire season ahead, exacerbated by heavy winter rainfall that promoted dense vegetation growth, which has since dried into highly flammable fuel. "There’s still a long summer ahead," he said.