By 11 July 2026, the wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almería, had left twelve people dead and burned about 6,600 hectares. Those early estimates captured the scale of the disaster as the fire spread rapidly. At its peak, the blaze advanced at up to 100 metres per minute, threatening populated areas as it moved toward mountainous terrain.
The damage was clear in charred road signs and burned-out vehicles, while homes had been reduced to ruins. Military Emergency Unit (UME) personnel were deployed to help contain the fire and secure the perimeter. The Advanced Command Post in Turre coordinated firefighting resources, including helicopters and water-dropping aircraft. More than 1,000 people were evacuated during the emergency.
Authorities were on the ground, with Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, addressing the media from the command center. Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the UME would stay deployed for as long as necessary. After several days, authorities declared the fire stabilized. Residents began returning as crews continued to monitor hot spots.
The reported toll rose as the emergency unfolded: later accounts cited 13 and 14 deaths before regional retrospectives put the final toll at 15. Most of the victims were foreign residents, including retirees, information from Canal Sur’s retrospective coverage. Later summaries put the burned area at around 7,000 hectares, above the provisional 6,600-hectare figure reported on 11 July. The fire affected Los Gallardos and Bédar and was later described as Andalusia’s deadliest wildfire of the century.
The disaster followed a pattern of deadly wildfires in the region. In a related incident, a previous blaze in Los Gallardos killed several foreign retirees after an evacuation route proved fatal. More than a thousand people were also evacuated. Details of that event are available in this report on the earlier Los Gallardos wildfire.
The Los Gallardos fire was part of an exceptionally severe wildfire season in Andalusia. Regional end-of-season accounts reported 58,735 hectares burned during the high-risk period, while other retrospectives put the figure at 59,685 hectares. One regional account also recorded 6,444 evacuees across major fires. High temperatures and wind, together with dry vegetation, contributed to the rapid spread and increased the danger for communities during periods of extreme fire risk.
As recovery work began, local authorities assessed damage to residents’ homes and infrastructure, along with the impact on the surrounding environment. The losses and evacuation challenges highlighted the importance of a rapid response and clear evacuation routes. Crews also continued monitoring the area after the fire was stabilized.
