Son disputes Spain wildfire account, says family got no evacuation order

Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt said his family never received a clear order to evacuate before his father died in the wildfire that tore through the hills above Los Gallardos in southern Spain. Officials said residents were warned to move out or shelter in place as flames advanced toward Bedar in Almeria province.

Verdonckt said he spoke by phone with his father, Stanislas Verdonckt, shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday as the fire approached the mountain village. Stanislas Verdonckt, a 63-year-old businessman who lived near Paraje el Curato on the outskirts of Bedar, was among eight victims found dead in a valley below the area where he lived. Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt said the group never heard that the fire was coming their way or that staying put might be safer than running, and that people fled only when the flames were nearly upon them.

Spanish authorities said local officials and police went door to door or called residents with instructions to evacuate safely or remain indoors depending on how the fire moved. Bedar mayor Angel Collado said he urged residents, including Stanislas Verdonckt, to shelter in place.

The fire killed at least 12 people in all, and 23 others were initially missing. Foreign nationals were among the dead, including Belgian and British victims, and some of those killed were found inside vehicles that had been engulfed by flames. More than 6,600 hectares had burned since Thursday, and weather conditions remained unfavorable for firefighters.

Andalusian emergency authorities activated Level 1 of the Plan INFOCA wildfire emergency plan, evacuated Bedar and nearby communities, and temporarily closed sections of the A-7 freeway and the N-340A road.