6 dead in wildfire in southern Spain

MADRID: Six people died in a wildfire near Almeria in southern Spain late Thursday, regional authorities said, adding some of the victims were found in vehicles.

The deaths took place in the hamlet of Bedar, the regional government said in a statement, saying around 150 firefighters were battling the blaze which broke out as temperatures soared.

The fire injured at least six people, including a woman who suffered burns and another person with smoke inhalation who were taken to hospital.

The four others were treated at the scene for minor burns and respiratory problems caused by heavy smoke.

Witnesses told authorities the blaze may have started after a power line fell, igniting dry vegetation before spreading rapidly through surrounding woodland.

Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire.

Roads were closed and residents evacuated as the fire spread, with about 50 people housed in a cultural centre.

Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME), which is deployed in major emergencies, was due to join firefighting efforts in the coming hours.

The head of the regional government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, expressed his condolences to the families of the six people who died, calling it “a tragedy”.

“Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief,” he wrote on X.

The wildfire comes as Spain suffers a heatwave, with scorching temperatures triggering orange weather warnings – the second highest level – across parts of Andalusia in recent days.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response this year.

Spain has experienced increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40°C, creating conditions for major wildfires.

More than 393,000 hectares (971,000 acres) burnt in Spain in 2025, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), making it the country’s worst wildfire year in recent history.