ALMERÍA, Spain — Hundreds of firefighters, backed by military emergency units, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, continued battling a deadly wildfire in southern Spain on Thursday after the blaze killed at least 12 people in one of the country's worst fire disasters in decades, regional authorities said.
The wildfire, which erupted near Los Gallardos in the province of Almería in the southern Andalusia region, spread rapidly through forest and scrubland amid extreme heat, dry vegetation and strong winds, forcing the evacuation of around 800 residents and threatening scattered rural communities.
Andalusia's emergency chief Antonio Sanz said hundreds of emergency personnel remained deployed as crews worked to secure the fire perimeter and prevent further flare-ups. Authorities said weather conditions had become somewhat more favorable, with lighter winds and higher humidity aiding containment efforts, although the size of the burned area continued to present significant challenges.
Officials said the fire has scorched about 70 square kilometres (27 square miles) of forest and farmland, making it one of Spain's most destructive wildfires in recent years.
Spanish authorities have now identified all of the victims through forensic examinations. The dead included seven British nationals, three Belgians, one French citizen, one American and one Spanish national. Earlier reports had placed the death toll at at least 12 while identification work was ongoing.
Authorities previously said dozens of people had been reported missing following the fire, but confirmed after completing searches and victim identification that everyone had been accounted for.
Regional officials said many of those who died were caught while attempting to flee the fast-moving flames, with several victims found in or near burned vehicles. Authorities have urged residents to follow evacuation and shelter instructions during wildfire emergencies while investigations into the cause of the blaze continue. Officials have not announced a definitive cause of the fire.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences to the victims' families and thanked firefighters, military personnel and emergency responders for their efforts.
The disaster comes as western Europe experiences another period of extreme summer heat that has heightened wildfire danger across several countries. According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe has warmed at roughly twice the global average rate since the 1980s, contributing to increasingly severe fire conditions.
