Overview
- A fast-moving wildfire in the hamlet of Bedar in Almería province has killed 12 people, with some victims found in vehicles and at least six others reported injured.
- About 150 firefighters and five fire trucks have been engaged in firefighting operations, roads were closed and roughly 50 evacuees were sheltered in a cultural centre.
- Spain’s Military Emergency Unit was reported to be preparing to join local crews, who continue containment work under prolonged heat and strong winds.
- Witnesses told authorities the blaze may have started after a power line fell into dry vegetation, but officials say the cause remains unconfirmed as an investigation proceeds.
- The fire took place during extreme heat that has increased Spain’s wildfire risk; national data show 2025 was one of the country’s warmest years and nearly 400,000 hectares burned, prompting a stepped-up 2026 wildfire response.