LOS GALLARDOS, Spain — Hundreds of firefighters backed by helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and military emergency units continued battling a deadly wildfire in Spain's southern Andalusia region on Saturday as authorities sought to contain one of the country's worst blazes in recent years after at least 12 people were killed.
The fire, which erupted near the communities of Los Gallardos and Bédar in Almería province during an intense summer heatwave, has burned roughly 66 square kilometers (25 square miles) of forest and farmland, according to regional emergency officials. Crews carried out controlled burns overnight and intensified direct attacks on the fire as lighter winds and higher humidity improved conditions, although officials said the blaze remained difficult to control because of its size and complex terrain.
Antonio Sanz, the Andalusian regional government's head of emergency services, said hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and Spain's Military Emergencies Unit, were working to prevent the fire from spreading toward more densely populated coastal areas. Authorities also maintained evacuation orders for several communities while allowing some residents to return where conditions had improved.
Regional authorities said most of those who died were believed to have been caught by the rapidly advancing flames while attempting to leave the area, despite official advice for residents in the most threatened locations to remain sheltered until evacuation routes were secured. Investigators continued efforts to formally identify the victims and determine the circumstances surrounding each death.
Officials have not announced a final cause of the wildfire. Spanish media and regional authorities have said investigators are examining whether the blaze may have started after a power line failed and ignited vegetation that had been dried by prolonged heat, though authorities have stressed that the investigation remains ongoing.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences to the victims' families and said Spain must continue strengthening wildfire prevention and preparedness as increasingly severe summer conditions raise fire risks across the country. Scientists have linked more frequent and intense heatwaves in southern Europe to climate change, which creates conditions favorable for fast-moving wildfires.
Authorities said firefighting operations would continue until the perimeter was fully secured and remaining hotspots were extinguished, while forensic teams completed victim identification and investigators continued examining the fire's origin.
