Key facts
- Thirteen people died in wildfires in Spain's Almería province.
- Seven of the victims were British nationals.
- Twelve of the 13 victims were foreign nationals.
- Other foreign victims included three Belgians, one French, and one American.
- The fires burned approximately 7,000 hectares and have been contained.
Thirteen people, including seven Britons, have died in deadly wildfires that swept through Spain's Almería province. Spanish authorities confirmed that 12 of the 13 victims were foreign nationals, with the remaining victim being a Spanish citizen. The foreign victims included nationals from the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the United States.
The wildfires, which broke out last Thursday, were fanned by high winds and extreme temperatures, turning rural settlements into ghost towns. Emergency services recovered 12 bodies that were so badly burned that DNA samples were required for identification. The fire, attributed to an electrical cable falling on a road, devastated approximately 7,000 hectares of land. It has since been brought under control, and residents have been returning to their homes since Sunday.
Spain has experienced increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves in recent years, creating conditions conducive to wildfires. In 2025, over 393,000 hectares were destroyed by fire, marking a historical high for Spain.