A wildfire swept through a remote expatriate community in Almeria province, southern Spain, on Thursday night, killing at least 12 people and leaving 23 missing, with eight injured, according to regional authorities.

The fire erupted in a semi‑arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains, part of a series of heat‑driven wildfires that have strained Spain’s firefighting resources.

Emergency services reported that most of the fatalities ignored shelter‑in‑place orders. Antonio Sanz, head of Andalusia’s emergency services, said many victims attempted to flee by car or on foot, with some using a dry riverbed that became a trap. Four of the victims were believed to be British based on the right‑hand drive of a burned vehicle. The death toll could rise.

The blaze covered more than 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres) and required about 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit. The steep, dry terrain complicated containment.

Andalusian regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said the terrain and extreme dryness made the fire especially difficult to control. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences on social media. Resident Dean Taylor recounted escaping via back roads, describing the event as terrifying.

Background: Spain has experienced frequent severe heat waves, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C. The June 2025 heat wave was linked to nearly 1,000 excess deaths. In June 2026, France faced its third heat wave of the summer, with high wildfire risk and evacuations of over 10,000 people in the eastern Pyrenees. Spain’s previous deadliest fire occurred in 1979, when 21 people died in Lloret de Mar. The 2017 Portugal wildfire killed 66 people.

The fire remained active into Friday afternoon, and officials said the death toll was expected to increase as searches continued.