Hundreds of firefighters, supported by helicopters and planes, are battling to contain one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires in the southern province of Almería.
The wildfire claimed the lives of at least 12 people and destroyed 66 square kilometers (25 square miles) of forest and farmland.
This area is roughly the size of Manhattan.
This fire, which broke out Thursday evening near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains, in a context of persistent heatwave, led to the evacuation of 1,448 people from eleven different locations.
Reportedly, most of the victims, who were foreign nationals, died because they did not follow “shelter in place” instructions. While seven of the people died on foot after leaving their car, four died in a charred car, believed to be British.
“We are facing one of the most complex fires in recent years,” said the head of Andalusia’s emergency services, Antonio Sanz.
Justice Minister Félix Bolaños explained that the severity of the fire was due to a “climate emergency” and noted that the fire was moving at a speed of 100 meters per minute during its peak intensity. Europe is the fastest warming continent on Earth, warming at twice the rate of other continents.
However, in France, near the country where this report originated, various forest fires are burning due to temperatures reaching 40°C, and 32 people have been arrested on suspicion of starting them. In total, more than 25,000 hectares of land in France have been affected by fires since the start of 2026.
This is double the area destroyed at the same time last year. Searches for victims are underway; there are 23 people missing. Spanish police arrested two people for failing to comply with the evacuation order.
