'Really frightening, unbelievably quick': Witnesses describe fleeing deadly Spain wildfire
A fast-moving wildfire in Almería, Spain, has resulted in at least 12 deaths and left 23 people missing. The blaze, reportedly sparked by a fallen electricity pole, forced rapid evacuations of tourists and residents in the Los Gallardos area.
Why it matters
The tragedy underscores the increasing vulnerability of regions to extreme weather events and infrastructure-related environmental disasters.
Image source, Reuters By Amy Walker and Mary Litchfield & James Kelly , Your Voice Published 10 July 2026, 18:46 BST Updated 5 minutes ago At least 12 people have died and 23 others are missing in a wildfire in southern Spain that emergency workers were battling to contain on Friday.
Officials said it appeared flames spread in the Los Gallardos area of Almería on Thursday afternoon after an electricity pole fell in woodland and sparked a blaze.
Speaking to local media, several eyewitnesses described the devastation as "like a bomb has fallen" on the municipality, while others recounted the fire's "unbelievably quick" spread.
Lucinda Curtois arrived in Spain with her partner Riyaz Cheytan and their teenage children for a holiday on Thursday.
They were in the pool in Bédar, close to where the fire took hold, at about 19:00 local time when neighbours warned them of an evacuation notice.
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