At least 11 killed, 19 missing in southern Spain wildfire

At least 11 killed, 19 missing in southern Spain wildfire

Victims include 4 British nationals

A wildfire in southern Spain has killed at least 11 people, making it one of the country's deadliest on record, as soaring temperatures grip much of the country, authorities said early Friday.

Several victims of the fire in Almeria were found inside burnt-out vehicles, local media reported. Eight others have been injured in the blaze, which 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain's military emergency unit were battling Friday.

Regional emergency authorities said four British nationals and other unspecified foreign nationals appeared to be among the victims. Andalusia's regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said 19 people were unaccounted for on the Cadena Ser radio station.

The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire, but said people who called to report it said that a fallen power line had sparked a blaze that spread rapidly into a nearby forest.

Victims fled into a 'death trap'

Most of the victims died while attempting to flee and ignored shelter-in-place instructions, said Antonio Sanz, president of Andalusia's emergency services. One group did so via a dry riverbed, which "turned into a death trap," he said.

Seven people died while on foot after abandoning their cars, Sanz said, likely looking for a way out.

"The consequences have been terrible. Everything seems to indicate that, in the case of the deceased … we are dealing for the most part, if not entirely, with foreign nationals," Sanz said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences, writing on X of his "immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almeria."

Authorities reported earlier that 12 people had died, but revised the death toll Friday morning.

Spain has battled frequent and severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40 C. Wind, high temperatures and little rainfall help small wildfires grow into unchecked blazes.

In June, Spain experienced several days of record-setting heat , with over 1,000 excess deaths attributed to heat.

Parts of Western Europe are facing their third heatwave in six weeks.

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Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Globally, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, bringing several intense heatwaves across Europe.

Scientists warn that climate change caused in part by the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making certain regions more vulnerable to wildfires.