Fires in Spain/ 11 people die

2026-07-10 08:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

At least 11 people have died and six others have been injured in a huge fire in southern Spain.

Around 150 firefighters are working to bring the flames under control, which witnesses said were started by a downed power line before spreading to a wooded area in Los Gallardos, Almería. Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire.

A persistent heatwave with temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius (104F) has caused wildfires across southern Europe this summer.

Hundreds of firefighters are dealing with major incidents in France, Portugal and Spain, with thousands forced to flee their homes.

The bodies of 11 victims were found in the small village of Bédar, just outside Los Gallardos. Four were found in a car, and other victims had tried to escape the flames as the fire spread through the night.

Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's health and emergencies minister, said the fire had been complex and rapid. The regional government had previously given a death toll of 12 people, although Sanz said the number was provisional.

Regional leader Juanma Moreno called the deaths "a tragedy."

Among the injured was one person who was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and another who suffered burns. Four people were treated at the scene for minor burns and breathing problems caused by the thick smoke.

The fire also led to road closures, while 1,000 residents were evacuated, according to emergency services.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in May that Spain would undertake its biggest response to the summer fires this year.

Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), which is deployed in cases of major emergencies, said it would join efforts to put out the fires in Los Gallardos.

In June, Spain reached its highest daily average since 1950 and had days where it recorded its highest temperatures ever for that month. Temperatures of up to 42C (107.6F) were forecast in some parts of the country.

Last year, a record area of ??393,000 hectares (971,000 acres) burned in Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), more than six times higher than the Spanish average for the period between 2006 and 2024.

Climate change is raising temperatures around the world, and Europe is the fastest-warming continent, warming twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.

This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply and more intense fires./ CNA