Four Britons Feared Among Twelve Dead in Andalusia’s Deadliest Wildfire

Four Britons are feared to be among 12 people killed in the devastating Los Gallardos wildfire in Almería.

Emergency services are continuing to respond to the devastating wildfire, where authorities have confirmed that twelve people have died and at least twenty-three others remain unaccounted for.

Eight people have been injured, four of them seriously, as firefighters continue search and rescue operations in what the Junta de Andalucía has described as the deadliest wildfire in the region’s history.

• 464 personnel have been sent to the wildfires – 150 firefighters and 220 Spanish military soldiers
• 124 vehicles have been deployed
• 12 fire engines are on the scene
• 2 water tankers are in action
• 30 aircraft

The blaze spread rapidly through the area during extreme heat, strong winds and exceptionally dry vegetation, forcing the evacuation of around one thousand residents and the closure of several roads.

More than one hundred and fifty firefighters, supported by the Military Emergencies Unit and aerial resources, remain deployed.

Early indications suggest that many of the victims were foreign nationals who attempted to leave the area outside the official evacuation routes, although formal identification is continuing.

The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation, with authorities examining whether a fallen electricity cable may have started the blaze.

Image: Infoca Plan – Andalusian Regional Government