At least 12 people have died and 23 remain missing after a fast-moving wildfire tore through parts of Almería province in southern Spain overnight, authorities said Friday.
The blaze, which erupted near Los Gallardos in the Andalusia region, has become one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires on record. Emergency crews found several victims inside burned-out vehicles, raising fears that many people died while attempting to flee the flames by car.
Officials believe some residents and visitors ignored shelter-in-place instructions and tried to escape through roads already threatened by the rapidly advancing fire. Authorities are also searching for hikers and others who may have been caught in remote areas as the blaze spread through forestland and farmland.
Andalusia regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said the fire had injured at least eight people, while emergency teams continued searching for the missing. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as crews reach more isolated areas.
More than 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s Military Emergency Unit have been deployed to battle the blaze. The fire has already consumed more than 3,200 hectares, or about 7,900 acres, of forest and agricultural land.
Soaring temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds have fueled the fire’s rapid spread. Temperatures in parts of southern Spain have climbed above 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, during an intense heatwave affecting much of southern Europe.
Investigators are examining whether a fallen power line may have sparked the fire, although officials have not confirmed the cause. Spain has already lost tens of thousands of hectares to wildfires this year as prolonged heat and drought conditions create dangerous fire weather across the country.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed sorrow over the deaths and said emergency services were working to contain the blaze and protect affected communities.
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