Los Gallardos Wildfire Kills 13, Burns 7,000 Hectares in Southern Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday urged stronger wildfire prevention measures after the Los Gallardos fire killed 13 people and burned almost 7,000 hectares in southern Spain. The fire left 23 people unaccounted for and generated 10 formal reports of missing persons.

It spread at up to 100 metres per minute at its peak last week before calmer winds and cooler temperatures allowed hundreds of firefighters to stabilize it after four days.

More than 200 ground personnel, fire engines, helicopters, water-bombing planes and UME units fought the blaze. Efforts later focused on cooling hot spots and searching for the missing. British, Belgian and French authorities assisted with genetic profiles for victim identification.

Sánchez visited the municipality of Turre to meet emergency services. He said Spain must prevent fires rather than only react when they occur, citing the need for better municipal protection and training courses for young people. Juanma Moreno, leader of Andalusia's regional government, said the public must adopt awareness and self-protection measures to respond faster to smoke sightings, suspicious activity or official warnings.

Authorities suspect the fire began when a power line broke and ignited parched vegetation after temperatures exceeded 40°C. Two people were arrested for disobeying evacuation orders. A British couple was found semi-conscious with severe burns covering 40 percent of their bodies in a ravine near Bédar.

Most of the 12 people killed are believed to be British and Belgian nationals, with one Spaniard. The fire burned more than 6,000 hectares and led to the evacuation of 1,400 people, with over 500 firefighters involved. Deadly wildfires burned almost 400,000 hectares of land in Spain in 2025, the highest figure recorded by the European Forest Fire Information System.