Spain’s deadliest wildfire this year kills 12, leaves 19 missing

A fast-moving wildfire near Los Gallardos in Andalusia killed at least 12 people, injured eight and left 19 missing, making it Spain’s deadliest wildfire so far in 2026. The fire tore through villages in Almería province, where homes were razed and the landscape was left “completely charred.”

Juanma Moreno, the regional president, called the blaze “a kind of trap” for people caught in its path. The blaze may have been sparked by a fallen power line, though the cause has not been confirmed. Four British nationals were among the dead after becoming trapped in a vehicle.

Steep ravines and difficult access for heavy equipment slowed the response, while the fire’s right flank remained a concern because it could still push toward cultivated land. Early in the emergency, about 150 firefighters and five fire trucks were battling the blaze, and temperatures in the area were near 40C as dry vegetation fed the flames. Some of those trying to flee were pushed onto unofficial routes through dense smoke.

Spain’s Military Emergency Unit deployed 200 personnel and 70 vehicles to support firefighting operations as evacuations spread across several nearby communities and tourist resorts along the Mediterranean coast. The emergency also activated a family assistance center in Garrucha to help identify the missing and collect DNA samples.

The fire struck as Spain and neighboring Portugal were enduring intense heatwaves and exceptionally high summer temperatures. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response in 2026. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined Sánchez in expressing condolences and praising emergency personnel.