At least 12 people had died and 23 were initially reported missing after a fast-moving wildfire swept through the Los Gallardos area of Almería, leaving emergency services struggling to contain the blaze and coordinate evacuations. The fire began on Thursday, July 9, near the small settlement of Almocaizar and spread toward Bédar amid strong winds and high temperatures over dry vegetation. As injured victims later died, the reported death toll rose. Subsequent coverage put it at 15, making the blaze one of the deadliest wildfires in Andalucía’s history.
Witnesses said the fire may have started after an old wooden power pole collapsed, bringing down a live cable that ignited dry brush near the A-7 motorway. Residents Indalecia Balastegui and Miguel Pérez were among the first to spot the flames and alert authorities, while a road worker tried to control the initial outbreak. The Guardia Civil investigated a fallen cable from a private line as a possible cause. Later reporting cited here did not establish the precise ignition mechanism. Gusts of up to 50 km/h pushed the flames through steep ravines, trapping residents and hampering the response.
Many victims were caught while trying to escape in their vehicles, despite authorities’ instructions to shelter in place. Emergency officials stressed that such directions are intended to protect lives. The fire spread so rapidly that there was little time for door-to-door warnings. In some cases, church bells alerted scattered households. Guardia Civil teams marked homes with yellow crosses to show they had been checked for survivors or casualties.
By Saturday, early estimates put the burned area at more than 6,600 hectares in the Sierra de la Cabrera-Bédar, and more than 1,500 people had been evacuated, many still unable to return home. Later coverage put the total burned area at approximately 7,000 hectares. The fire’s speed, reported to have exceeded 100 meters per minute, was attributed to abundant vegetation that had dried under the intense Almería sun. Rugged terrain and inaccessible ravines, along with scattered rural homes, further complicated firefighting and evacuation operations.
Authorities from the Junta de Andalucía and the central government stressed the importance of following emergency instructions, warning that disregarding them can have fatal consequences. Officials defended the decision not to activate the Es-Alert system, saying conflicting messages, such as simultaneous orders to evacuate and shelter, could have caused confusion. Two individuals were detained for attempting to re-enter restricted areas against police orders.
Efforts to control the fire continued over the weekend, with military emergency units focused on preventing secondary outbreaks near the A-7 and containing the northern advance toward towns such as Lubrín, which remained under confinement. The initial missing-person count could change as searches continued. The tragedy became a defining event in Andalucía’s 2026 fire season, alongside major fires elsewhere in Spain. Copernicus-based figures reported by Europa Press put the area burned nationally at 301,413 hectares by October 21, or 43% of the European Union total at that point. More details on the incident are available in coverage of the deadly escape route error during the same wildfire.
Andalucía’s 2026 high-risk fire season later closed with 58,735 hectares burned and 15 fatalities in Almería, information from the reported Infoca season-end balance. The Los Gallardos blaze also renewed attention to preparedness in nearby municipalities: Garrucha subsequently prepared a plan for responding to future catastrophes, highlighting the importance of prevention and coordinated emergency planning. High temperatures and dry terrain made the fire particularly difficult to contain, with strong winds adding to the challenge. Rugged ground and dispersed homes complicated evacuation and rescue efforts.
