13 Dead, 23 Missing in Spain’s Deadliest Wildfire of the Century

A catastrophic forest fire that tore through the province of Almería in southern Spain has killed at least 13 people, left 23 missing, and forced the evacuation of 1,500 residents in what authorities have confirmed as the deadliest wildfire in Spain in the 21st century. Among the victims are believed to be Belgian, British, and French nationals, with the Belgian Foreign Ministry stating there is reason to believe three Belgian nationals are among the dead.

The fire, which ignited on Thursday, July 9, near the town of Los Gallardos, burned approximately 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) and destroyed significant areas of forest and rural property. The blaze was stabilized by Sunday, July 12, allowing evacuees to begin returning home, but the tragedy has sparked intense political controversy over the failure to activate Spain’s ES-Alert emergency cell broadcast system.

How the Fire Unfolded

According to Spanish media, the fire started after a power cable came loose in Los Gallardos. The extremely dry ground caught fire, which spread rapidly through forested areas. Due to strong winds, the fire traveled 15 kilometers in just two hours, reaching the municipality of Bédar and surrounding areas.

Four victims were found dead in their burned-out cars, while seven others died after leaving their vehicles but perishing in the flames. A 93-year-old British woman later died in hospital from burns covering 20% of her body, raising the death toll to 13. Eight people were injured, four critically, and are being treated at Hospital Virgen del Rocío in Seville.

Most or all of the victims are believed to be foreign tourists or residents. Alongside the three Belgian nationals, four British nationals — including the 93-year-old woman — and one French woman are among the dead or missing.

A Controversy Over Warnings

The disaster has ignited a fierce political debate over why Spain’s ES-Alert system — a cell broadcast technology that sends emergency alerts to all mobile phones in a geographic area — was not activated. The decision was made by the Junta de Andalucía, with officials arguing that sending a single mass alert to an area with only one road out would have caused panic and chaos, potentially leading to more deaths.

But survivors and victims’ families tell a different story. Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, whose 63-year-old father Stanislas is among the missing, told Reuters that no official warnings were given to residents in Bédar. “The people who died did not disobey orders, because no orders were given,” he said. His father had his last phone contact with him at approximately 21:00 on July 9, as the fire rapidly approached.

Jérôme Navarro, a French man whose wife Stéphanie is missing, told Spanish media: “Neither the town hall, nor the municipal police or local police came to warn us. We found ourselves trapped.” He survived by jumping into a ravine.

VRT NWS journalist Stijn Vercruysse, reporting from the ground, confirmed that residents received no official SMS alert. “Everyone was warned in a different way,” he said. “Some received a message in a WhatsApp group, the mayor went door-to-door, the Civil Guard did part of it. But no one received the official SMS that is normally sent out.”

Political Fallout

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the affected area on Monday, July 13, alongside opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Opposition parties, including Podemos and Por Andalucía, have demanded a parliamentary investigation. Podemos accused the PP of cutting firefighting resources by 14% in Andalusia, while the PP and PSOE have exchanged accusations over emergency management.

Antonio Sanz, Vice President of the Junta de Andalucía, defended the decision not to send the alert. “The sorrow is immense. Andalusia is in mourning and our hearts are with Almería and all those affected,” he said. Regional President Juanma Moreno explained that ES-Alert was not sent to avoid confusion, noting that different areas required different instructions — some to evacuate, others to shelter in place.

A Landscape Primed for Disaster

The fire occurred during Europe’s third heatwave in two months, with temperatures in Almería reaching nearly 42°C. A wet winter and spring had caused abundant vegetation growth, which then dried out during the summer heat, creating ample fuel. The steep, ravine-scarred terrain of the Sierra de Bédar is naturally conducive to rapid fire spread.

As The Guardian reported, Guillermo Rein, a fire scientist at Imperial College London, described the situation as “the worst possible combination: a point of ignition in a vast landscape of extremely dry vegetation, strong winds, and a nearby community that was unprepared.”

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System shows that fires in 2026 have burned double the usual area for that time of year, with triple the number of fires. The hollowing out of rural Spain has alarmed fire experts, as vegetation overgrowth from land abandonment has created large fuel build-ups that make mega-fires more likely.

What Comes Next

DNA identification of the victims is ongoing in a laboratory in Madrid, with the Belgian Foreign Ministry confirming that children of the missing Belgian nationals have traveled to Spain to provide DNA samples. The Civil Guard has concluded ground searches with no further victims found.

The ES-Alert controversy will likely lead to a review of Spain’s emergency alert protocols, particularly for rural areas with limited evacuation routes. As climate change intensifies heatwaves and droughts, Spain and other Mediterranean countries face mounting pressure to invest in fire prevention, early warning systems, and rural firebreaks.

Local offices have opened in Los Gallardos, Bédar, Antas, and Lubrín to assess damage and channel emergency aid. The question of whether the power company faces liability for the fallen cable — and whether any officials will face consequences for the decision not to activate ES-Alert — remains open.