Overview
- The fire began Thursday afternoon near Los Gallardos and Bédar and spread quickly through dry, wind‑driven vegetation, trapping people on local roads and in vehicles.
- Regional authorities report at least 12 confirmed deaths with dozens originally listed as missing and searches and victim identifications still under way.
- Firefighters, soldiers and aircraft are fighting what officials now estimate has burned about 6,600 hectares while evacuations moved more than 1,000 people into emergency shelters.
- Officials say a fallen or broken power line that landed in desiccated vegetation is the suspected ignition source and formal investigations are ongoing; many confirmed victims are believed to be foreign nationals.
- The blaze highlights how extreme heat and prolonged drying are raising wildfire risk in southern Europe and is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of power‑line safety, evacuation routes and rural fire prevention.