ALMERÍA, Spain—Residents evacuated by one of Spain's deadliest wildfires in recent years began returning to their homes after authorities declared the blaze stabilised, while emergency crews continued extinguishing remaining hotspots and investigators worked to identify victims and determine the fire's cause.
The Andalusian regional government said about 1,500 people displaced from communities affected by the wildfire in Almería province were being allowed to return gradually after firefighters secured the fire's perimeter and reduced the emergency alert level. Officials said improved weather conditions, including lighter winds and higher humidity, helped crews gain control of the blaze.
Regional president Juan Manuel Moreno announced that the wildfire had been stabilised after several days of intensive firefighting, describing the development as a significant step toward ending the emergency. Authorities stressed that firefighters would remain on the ground to extinguish residual hot spots and monitor the perimeter to prevent flare-ups.
The wildfire has killed at least 12 people, according to regional authorities, making it among Spain's most lethal fires in decades. Officials cautioned that the number of missing people remained uncertain while forensic teams carried out autopsies and worked to identify recovered bodies. Authorities have said several of the victims are believed to be foreign nationals.
Spain's Civil Guard has been inspecting damaged properties as residents return. Authorities said that, among the first homes examined, most escaped major structural damage despite the fire burning roughly 7,000 hectares across parts of Almería province. Local governments have begun coordinating assistance for affected residents.
The wildfire broke out during an intense heatwave that pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of southern Spain. Regional officials have said investigators suspect a damaged power line may have ignited the blaze, although the cause remains under investigation.
Firefighters, military emergency units and aircraft battled the rapidly spreading fire for several days across rugged terrain. Authorities have reiterated earlier appeals for residents to follow official emergency instructions during future wildfire incidents after preliminary findings indicated that some victims died while attempting to leave areas where they had been advised to shelter in place or use designated evacuation routes.
Emergency officials said firefighting operations would continue until the wildfire is fully extinguished, while police and forensic teams maintain recovery and identification efforts in the affected areas.
