At least 11 people have died and 19 are missing in a wildfire in southern Spain
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A wildfire in southern Spain has killed at least 11 people, making it one of the country’s deadliest, as soaring temperatures hit much of the country, authorities said early Friday.
Many victims of the fire in Almeria were found inside burned cars, local media reported. Another eight people were injured in the fire, 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers of the military emergency unit in Spain on Friday.
Regional emergency authorities said four British nationals and an unspecified number of foreigners appeared to be among the victims. The regional leader of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno, said that 19 people are missing in the Cadena Ser radio station.
The fire broke out in a valley in the desert near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire, but said callers reported that a downed power line started the fire, which quickly spread to a nearby forest.
Victims escape ‘death trap’
Most of the victims died when they tried to escape and ignored evacuation orders, said Antonio Sanz, president of emergency services in Andalusia. One group did this by using a dry riverbed, which “turned into a death trap,” he said.
Seven people died on foot after abandoning their cars, said Sanz, who may have been looking for a way out.
“The results have been very bad. Everything seems to indicate that, in the case of the deceased … we are dealing mostly with outsiders, if not completely,” said Sanz.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sadness, writing in X “with great sadness and devastation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almeria.”
Authorities had previously reported 12 deaths, but updated the death toll on Friday morning.
Spain has battled frequent and intense heat waves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40 C. Wind, high temperatures and little rain help small wildfires grow into unstoppable flames.
In June, Spain experienced several days of record heat, with more than 1,000 heat-related deaths.
Parts of Western Europe are experiencing their third heat wave in six weeks.
Europe is the world’s hottest continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Globally, 2025 was the third hottest year on record, bringing many extreme heat waves across Europe.
Scientists warn that climate change, caused in part by the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil and coal, is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat and drought, making certain regions more vulnerable to wildfires.
