In brief
A wildfire ignited near Los Gallardos, Almería, on Thursday, claiming at least 12 deaths and leaving 23 missing. The blaze erupted rapidly after an electricity pole fell, causing an almost invisible progression of black smoke to full flames in fifteen minutes. Residents fleeing the fire described the scene as a mushroom‑cloud of ash and fire, with many families evacuating hastily by car or on foot. Emergency responders mobilised heavily, with dozens of aircraft and military support attempting to control the rapidly spreading fire. Local authorities report the disaster has shaken the community, forcing many to seek refuge in surrounding towns.
At least 12 people died and 23 are missing in a wildfire that emergency workers were battling to contain on Friday in Almería, southern Spain.
Officials say flames spread in Los Gallardos after a fallen electricity pole sparked a blaze in the surrounding woodland. Witnesses described the devastation as a bomb-like event, noting how quickly the fire was under the sky.
A family arriving for a holiday reported being in a pool area near the fire site when neighbours warned them of an evacuation notice. They were forced to flee within minutes as a haze turned to black smoke then to flames, sparking panic.
The family fled by car, but the fire reached the main road as they drove, forcing them to find a new exit route. They eventually reached a hotel half an hour away, while some friends who walked out remain missing.
Local residents, including a reporter who was staying in a nearby town, described ash and smoke in the air the following morning. People shared via social media the urgency of locating missing individuals in the aftermath.
An earlier commentator noted that the fire spread too quickly to stop, engulfing the mountains in a matter of two hours. The mayor said it was as if a bomb had fallen, and that the loss of orange trees and local homes weighed heavily on the villagers.
Hundreds of firefighters, military personnel and aircraft continued to fight the blaze, with many reporting that it was the worst and most devastating fire the region has faced so far.
