A forest fire in southern Spain has destroyed large areas of land and triggered a large-scale operation by the fire brigade.Image: keystone
July 13, 2026, 1:51 p.mJuly 13, 2026, 1:51 p.m
The death toll from the devastating forest fire in southern Spain has increased to 13. A 93-year-old British woman with several previous illnesses succumbed to her burn injuries in hospital, the government of the affected region of Andalusia announced.
The woman lived in the municipality of Los Gallardos, around 70 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital Almería. The fire broke out there on Thursday afternoon. A defective power line is suspected to be the cause of the fire.
Around 7,000 hectares of forest and bush were destroyed. The flames have stopped spreading since Sunday night. The authorities said the situation had been stabilized. Meanwhile, the extinguishing work continues. They are favored by weaker winds and higher humidity. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wanted to visit the fire area on Monday.
Thanks to the positive development, all of the approximately 1,600 people who had previously been evacuated have now been able to return to their homes. The search for possible further victims was discontinued. Emergency services had previously combed the fire area and checked remote houses and access roads. The number of official reports of missing persons was recently eight.
Identification of twelve fatalities is ongoing
On Friday night, at least twelve people died in the area, which is also popular with foreign tourists, not far from several Mediterranean beaches. Most were trapped by flames as they tried to escape in a vehicle or on foot. Eight were injured. Seven were still in hospital at the beginning of the week.
Based on various indications, the authorities assume that there are several British and Belgians among the dead. However, identification is still pending, among other things because relatives whose DNA samples are needed for comparison are still on the way to Spain, it was said. (sda/dpa)