Vice President Antonio Sanz has formally requested to appear in Parliament to explain the Andalusian government’s response to the devastating wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almería. Early reports said the blaze burned approximately 7,000 hectares and killed 13 people. Later reporting put the final death toll at 15, making it one of the deadliest wildfires in Spain’s recent history. Canal Sur later described it as Andalucía’s deadliest wildfire of the century.
Although the opposition had called for President Juan Manuel Moreno to address the chamber personally, Sanz will take the floor. He oversees the Presidency and also holds the Health and Emergency portfolios. The Junta de Portavoces will discuss his request this Wednesday, and parliamentary sources said the session is expected to be scheduled for the 23rd. Ana Mestre is also set to be elected parliamentary president at that session, following Jesús Aguirre’s resignation amid coalition agreements between the Partido Popular (PP) and Vox.
The fire affected Los Gallardos and nearby municipalities, including Bédar. It forced residents from their homes and caused extensive damage to rural land and pasture. Thousands of animals were left without grazing land. The blaze reached operational level 2 under Andalucía’s emergency structure, prompting the intervention of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME). During the region’s 2026 high-risk fire period, 6,444 people were evacuated or otherwise forced to leave their homes because of threats to life. Nineteen fires reached operational level 1 and three reached level 2, information from figures reported by El Correo de Andalucía.
Speaking in Salobreña, Granada, President Moreno said he was surprised by the opposition’s united demand for him to appear. He suggested some critics were more interested in confrontation than constructive debate. The government was open to providing information, he said, and urged opposition groups to recognize the administration’s actions in recent days.
María Jesús Montero, secretary general of the PSOE in Andalucía and socialist spokesperson, insisted that Moreno himself should answer questions rather than delegate to another cabinet member. She questioned the emergency response timeline, from the first sighting of smoke at 16:30 on Thursday to the full deployment of firefighting resources at 19:37. Montero declined to speculate about the absence of an ES-Alert message to residents, saying she lacked sufficient data to judge the best communication method.
The debate over climate policy has also intensified. Montero accused Moreno of inconsistency on climate change, citing his earlier “green revolution” rhetoric and contrasting it with the 150-point agreement signed with Vox, which she argued undermines climate action. Moreno stressed his personal commitment to climate issues while acknowledging differences with Vox, particularly over the recognition of climate change.
Vox’s Manuel Gavira, the Junta’s second vice president, criticized the joint appearance of Moreno and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Almería. He accused politicians of using climate change to distract from their responsibilities. Gavira pointed to the coalition pact with the PP, which calls for a review of regulations so agricultural workers can help maintain forested areas, as a basic measure to prevent future disasters.
Por Andalucía also requested a government appearance in Parliament, with spokesperson Antonio Maíllo saying he would prefer Moreno to attend. The opposition cannot compel the president to appear, but, so the emergency services chief will take responsibility for the appearance. Maíllo also argued that the PP-Vox agreement had produced a government that denies climate change, citing Gavira’s previous remarks about “climate crazies.”
The political debate follows an exceptionally severe fire season. El Correo de Andalucía reported that 58,735 hectares burned during Andalucía’s high-risk period. Across Spain, more than 301,000 hectares had burned through 21 October, equivalent to 43% of the European Union total for that period, according to figures based on Copernicus reporting. Antonio Sanz described the wider pattern of emergencies as increasingly intense: “Natural emergencies are developing towards greater virulence, with behaviours never seen before. This exceptional situation is here to stay; it is a new reality.”
Questions about prevention and evacuation planning have become basic to the political scrutiny. So has coordination among municipal and regional responders, alongside the military. The Asociación Forestal Andaluza has warned that fires are becoming harder to contain in their initial stages, while the season’s extraordinary intensity has also featured in the debate. The reporting cited here has not established the causes of the Los Gallardos deaths. Parliament’s arguments concern the response and preparedness, as well as policy choices.
The disaster has also prompted local authorities to consider steps beyond the immediate firefighting response. Garrucha began preparing a plan for future catastrophes, with the Los Gallardos and Bédar fire renewing attention to prevention and coordinated action. The parliamentary session will bring emergency management and climate policy under renewed scrutiny as the region considers ways to reduce the risks of future wildfires.
