Key facts
- At least 12 people died in a wildfire in Almería, Spain.
- The blaze scorched 3,800 hectares and injured eight people.
- Authorities are investigating a fallen power line as a potential ignition source.
- Scientists attribute the fire's rapid spread to a combination of dry vegetation, strong winds, and high temperatures.
- The region experienced temperatures nearing 42C.
- Land abandonment and climate change are identified as long-term contributing factors.
A devastating wildfire in southern Spain's Almería region has resulted in at least 12 confirmed deaths, with authorities investigating a fallen power line as a potential cause. The fast-spreading inferno scorched 3,800 hectares, injured eight people, and left 23 unaccounted for.
Scientists describe the conditions that fueled the blaze as unprecedented, citing a dangerous combination of extremely dry vegetation, strong winds, and high temperatures. Recent heatwaves, with temperatures nearing 42C after several consecutive days above 35C, have turned the landscape into highly flammable fuel. A wet winter and spring preceding the hot summer contributed to plant growth, which then dried out.
Experts point to long-term factors such as land abandonment and climate change as underlying causes for the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires in southern Europe. The overgrowth of vegetation due to land abandonment, coupled with a tendency to suppress fires rather than prevent them, has led to significant fuel build-ups, making mega-fires more likely. The steep terrain of the Sierra de Bédar also facilitated the rapid spread of the flames.
This year's fires in Western Europe are among the deadliest in Spanish history, burning double the usual area for this time of year, with triple the number of fires and above-average emissions, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System. The scale of pollution from such fires is a significant concern, with studies indicating that wildfire smoke causes millions of deaths globally each year.