Wildfire in southern Spain kills 11 as evacuation routes turn deadly

MADRID: A wildfire in southern Spain has killed 11 people and left 19 others missing, as firefighters continued efforts on Friday to contain one of the country’s deadliest blazes, according to officials in Andalusia.

The fire struck rural communities around Los Gallardos in Almeria province, where residents in mountain and countryside areas faced rapidly advancing flames and heavy smoke. Authorities told some residents in the mountains above Los Gallardos to evacuate using a recommended route, while people in the wooded hamlet of Bedar were instructed to remain in their homes.

As conditions worsened, some residents left on their own. Antonio Rubio, a handyman from Bedar, said the smoke made staying impossible even though the fire had not reached his home. He said he and others departed on Thursday afternoon without waiting for formal arrangements.

A British resident of Los Gallardos, Sonia, who declined to give her surname, said relatives staying with her had been ordered to evacuate at 7pm. She said they were told not to use the main road out of Bedar and instead take a back route higher into the mountains before returning towards the coast. According to her account, the road linking Bedar and Los Gallardos had already become unusable after the fire crossed it.

Deaths linked to escape attempts

Antonio Sanz, head of emergencies in the Andalusia region, said residents of Bedar had been told either to use the designated evacuation route or remain at home because the fire was already very close. He said attempts to leave through another route ended in disaster.

He said four people, believed to be British because the steering wheel in their car was on the right-hand side, were found dead in one vehicle. Seven others were also found dead after apparently getting out of their cars and trying to flee on foot.

According to Sanz, 10 of the dead appeared to be foreign nationals, while one Spaniard has been confirmed among the victims. He added that most of Bedar itself was ultimately not reached by the flames and said the order to shelter in place had prevented a worse outcome.

Speaking about the dangers of ignoring official guidance, Sanz said “In situations like this, it is essential that we all follow the routes indicated”.

He added “Unfortunately, in this instance, a decision was taken to use another route that wasn’t the one recommended for evacuation. Looking for another way out via a dry riverbed turned out to be a trap.”

Families search for missing relatives

In the early hours of Friday, as authorities worked to identify those killed and locate the missing, relatives from different countries posted appeals on social media and local online forums. One woman in the United States wrote to local emergency services that her brother had been part of a group of 10 people who tried to escape through a valley beside a stream, sharing coordinates and asking rescuers to look for him.

Regional President Juanma Moreno said the urge to flee in the face of an approaching wildfire was understandable, but warned that unfamiliar or unofficial routes could become fatal without accurate information. He said “When many people see a fire, the first thing they do is run away, don’t they? And of course, they think they know the routes but if they don’t have the right information, those routes can of course turn into a death trap.”