At least 12 people have died and 23 others are unaccounted for following a deadly wildfire in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, according to officials.
One Spaniard was among the victims and the rest appeared to be foreign nationals.
The area is a popular holiday destination and home to many European expats.
The blaze near Almeria is Spain’s deadliest wildfire in more than two decades.
Andalusia’s head of emergencies Antonio Sanz said 150 firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.
Mr Sanz said the fire had spread extremely rapidly in a wooded area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almeria province of Andalusia, affecting particularly the nearby hamlet of Bedar.
He said the authorities had told residents to stay in their homes and that the deaths appeared to have occurred when people decided to try to evacuate in their cars.
Four people, who he said appeared to be British as the steering wheel of their car was on the right-hand side, died in one vehicle, Mr Sanz said, others were found dead after apparently abandoning their cars and attempting to escape on foot along a route that was not part of the evacuation plan.
Another four people were being treated in hospital for serious burns, Mr Sanz said.
He urged residents to follow official instructions and avoid taking risks as authorities focused on saving lives.
Juan Manuel Moreno, head of Andalusia’s regional government, said 23 people were missing, some probably hikers. Rescue workers found several walking sticks at the scene.
“I think they’ve been caught off-guard in the woods. When there’s a sudden fire… you don’t know how to get out,” Mr Moreno said.
No reports of Irish citizens caught up in wildfire, says Dept
The Department of Foreign Affairs said there have been no reports of any Irish citizens affected by the wildfire.
In a statement, the Department said it “stands ready to provide consular assistance to any Irish citizen that requests it”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said Irish “citizens in the affected area are advised to follow the instructions of the local authorities”.
In a post on X, she said: “Irish citizens affected by the wildfires who require assistance can contact the embassy on +34 91 4364093.”
A seaplane is helping to extinguish the wildfire in Los Gallardos, Spain
Witnesses told authorities the blaze may have started after a power line fell, igniting dry vegetation before spreading rapidly through surrounding woodland. Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire.
The death toll makes it Spain’s deadliest wildfire since 2005, when 11 firefighters were killed in a blaze in the central province of Guadalajara that was sparked by a barbecue and burned thousands of hectares of forest.
That disaster, considered one of the country’s worst wildfire tragedies, prompted major changes to Spain’s wildfire prevention and emergency response systems.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he felt “enormous sadness and devastation” over the consequences of the fire, offering his condolences to the families of those killed and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
In a post on X, he said emergency services, security forces and the military emergency unit (UME) had been mobilised to combat the blaze and urged residents to exercise caution.
The latest blaze comes after a wildfire burning out of control in southern France earlier this week forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border.
Early summer heatwaves across western Europe in May and June have parched vast areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year.
Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Organization has said, making prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.
A wildfire rages near the Port of Garrucha, Andalusia
Orange weather warnings triggered in parts of Andalusia
Mr Sanchez said in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response this year.
The head of the regional government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, called the blaze “a tragedy”.
“Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief,” he wrote on X.
The wildfire comes as Spain swelters in a heatwave, with scorching temperatures triggering orange weather warnings – the second highest level – across parts of Andalusia in recent days.
Spain has experienced increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40C, creating conditions for major wildfires.
The country registered its third-warmest year on record in 2025, with 25 single-day heat records set during the period, national weather agency AEMET said.
Earlier this month, hundreds of firefighters battled a wildfire that raged near the popular Mediterranean tourist destination of Costa Brava and forced thousands to stay indoors.
Strong winds whipped up the fire and prompted regional authorities to urge residents of 10 municipalities to remain at home, including at the popular Platja d’Aro beach resort.
Deadly wildfires devoured almost 400,000 hectares of land last year, the highest figure recorded for the country by the European Forest Fire Information System.