Investigators initially focused on a collapsed electrical cable as a possible cause of the devastating wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almería. On the Friday after the fire broke out, the Guardia Civil said it was examining whether a fallen power line had started the blaze. Early reports put the death toll at at least 11; later coverage said it had risen to 15 as injured victims died. The fire ultimately burned about 7,000 hectares in Los Gallardos and Bédar, damaging homes and affecting residents, livestock and pasture.
Andalusian government officials also cited the electrical network as a possible source of the blaze. Antonio Sanz, the regional minister of the Presidency, said the fire was initially classified as a “roadside fire,” while later indications suggested a fallen utility pole may have been involved. Juan Manuel Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucía, said those responsible for maintaining the infrastructure would be held accountable if investigators confirmed the power-line hypothesis. Their findings will determine whether that suspected cause can be established.
Red Eléctrica, Spain’s electricity system operator, said on social media that the high-voltage line affected by the fire was not part of its network. The company also expressed solidarity with Los Gallardos residents and recognized the efforts of emergency and firefighting teams. Its statement clarified which network the line did not belong to, as investigators continued examining the fire’s origin.
The fire broke out during a period of extreme wildfire risk, information from Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, Aemet. The agency’s highest risk level takes temperature, wind and humidity into account; readings across those conditions were critical after two consecutive heatwaves. The first began on June 21 and lasted four days. The second started on July 5 and eased the day before the fire. Hot, dry conditions can stress vegetation and accelerate fire spread, raising the danger in the affected area.
Later reports ranked the Los Gallardos fire among Spain’s deadliest wildfires and called it Andalusia’s deadliest by fatalities. Its death toll and burned area differed from those of the season’s largest fire: the Niebla blaze in Huelva burned 39,821 hectares. Reports put the total burned area across Andalusia during the 2026 wildfire season at 59,685 hectares. The Asociación Forestal Andaluza questioned Infoca’s ability to contain fires in their early stages, widening the debate to prevention and emergency response as well as the suspected ignition source.
The disaster also prompted local authorities to stress preparedness and coordinated responses to major emergencies. Garrucha announced a preparedness initiative in response to the Los Gallardos tragedy and to prepare for future large-scale crises. The fire has drawn national attention to infrastructure risks and extreme weather. For example, the evacuation of several buildings in Barcelona’s Putxet district after a large sinkhole highlighted the wider challenges facing emergency services and local authorities.
Aemet monitors wildfire risk using weather and vegetation data, work made more pressing by back-to-back heatwaves. Official data cited in the original coverage showed that Spain’s summer of 2025 had the largest area burned by wildfires since the 1990s, amid prolonged heat and dry conditions. The Los Gallardos fire has renewed attention to infrastructure maintenance and the need to contain fires quickly. Its final reported toll of 15 deaths, up from the provisional count of at least 11 during the initial emergency, also shows how the human cost continued to rise after the fire began.
