At Least 12 Dead, 23 Missing in Fast-Moving Wildfire in Southern Spain

Deadly blaze in Almeria

A fast-moving wildfire in southern Spain has killed at least 12 people and left 23 missing, according to the latest regional and international reporting. The fire broke out near Los Gallardos in Almeria province and spread rapidly through dry terrain during an intense heatwave.

Officials said the blaze erupted late Thursday amid extreme heat, strong winds and very dry conditions. Earlier reports had put the toll at 11 dead and 19 missing, but later updates raised both figures as the search continued.

The fire has forced evacuations and triggered a large emergency response involving firefighters, regional authorities and Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit. Reporting from the scene described more than 150 firefighters and about 220 military personnel working to contain the flames.

Search and rescue effort

The most urgent task remains finding the missing. Officials are still accounting for residents and evacuees in and around Los Gallardos, and the casualty figures may change again as identification work continues.

The scale of the response reflects the difficulty of the terrain and the speed with which the fire spread. Local reporting said the blaze burned thousands of hectares, and regional officials have described it as especially dangerous.

Some outlets have described the fire as one of the deadliest in Andalusia’s history. That assessment underscores how quickly the emergency escalated as crews tried to protect homes and evacuate people from threatened areas.

Official response

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed support for the response and condolences for the victims. Regional leaders in Andalusia also said they were coordinating closely with central authorities as the emergency developed.

The Military Emergencies Unit was deployed as part of the firefighting effort, alongside regional crews and other responders. Authorities have not said the containment effort is complete, and the situation remains fluid.

Cause still under investigation

The cause of the fire has not been confirmed. Some reporting says investigators are looking into whether a fallen electrical cable could have triggered the blaze, but that remains unverified in the strongest reporting.

Endesa and Red Eléctrica have denied that the cable under investigation belonged to their networks, according to El País. Separately, meteorological warnings had already flagged extreme fire risk in the area because of the heat and weather conditions.

What happens next

Officials are still working to update the number of injured people and to confirm how many of the missing have been found. For now, the priorities are search and rescue, evacuation support and stopping the fire from spreading further.

Southern Spain is in a severe summer heatwave, which has sharply increased wildfire risk. With the death toll still potentially subject to change, the incident remains an active emergency and one of the region’s most serious recent fire disasters.