Overview
- The fire raced through the Los Gallardos–Bédar area late Thursday night and has left at least 12 people dead with reports of between 19 and 23 people still unaccounted for.
- Many victims appear to be foreign residents or tourists and four people found in a right‑hand‑drive car are believed to be British, with DNA and consular work underway to confirm identities.
- Emergency crews have deployed roughly 400–500 firefighters plus military emergency unit personnel and aircraft to battle the blaze that has scorched about 3,150–3,200 hectares.
- Witnesses say a fallen power line ignited dry scrub but regional officials have not confirmed the cause and local utilities dispute the initial attribution while a formal probe continues.
- The fire spread rapidly because of near‑40°C heat, dry vegetation and strong winds, a pattern experts link to worsening Mediterranean fire seasons and that threatens to strain regional resources.