Fears ten Brits dead in Spain wildfire

Ten of those believed to have died in a wildfire in southern Spain might be British, authorities have said.

The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains in Andalusia.

Regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz described two incidents in which people were killed.

Four people who were travelling in a car were found dead, and the vehicle was burnt out.

“It appears that all four are foreign nationals and may be British, as the car has the steering wheel on the other side – which suggests it could be British – but, understandably, it will still be difficult to identify them,” Mr Sanz said.

The fire in Los Gallardos as seen from the Port of Garrucha, on 10 July, 2026 in Garrucha, Almeria, Andalusia, Spain. Getty Images

The second incident involved a vehicle carrying nine people.

Two managed to escape and were rescued, but the remaining seven all died.

“It appears that one is a Spanish national and the rest may also be foreign nationals,” Mr Sanz said.

He said they could be Belgian or British. Mr Sanz said it appeared the group had been searching for an escape route but it was too late.

“Ultimately, the escape routes weren’t suitable and they found themselves in a dead end, a trap, or in some cases a path from which there was practically no way out,” Mr Sanz said.

None of the fatalities have been identified.

“All levels of administration and the Andalusian authorities are deploying all their forces to tackle a terrible, highly complex, and extremely fast-moving fire,” Mr Sanz said.

“It is a widespread situation affecting residential areas. The fire is spreading at an incredibly high speed.”

It comes as soaring temperatures gripped much of the country, authorities said.

Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire, but said people who called to report it said that a fallen power line had sparked a blaze that spread rapidly into a nearby forest.

Spain’s military emergency unit, which is deployed in major emergencies, is joining firefighting efforts.

The fire also led to road closures, while 1,000 residents were evacuated, according to emergency services.

Regional authorities said the fire was the deadliest the region had seen to date.

The regional leader of the southern Spanish Andalusia region Juan Manuel Moreno wrote on X that “Our hearts are heavy and we are devastated by grief”.