The victim toll from the fire recorded in Los Gallardos (Almería) amounts to 13 dead. Twelve people lost their lives in the fire itself and one more died this Sunday at the Torrecárdenas University Hospital, where she was admitted.
Read more The Los Gallardos fire, contained and stabilized: All evacuees will be back in their homes today
The identification work of the victims continues to officially confirm the identity of the deceased. Although genetic profiles have already been obtained, the entire recognition process has not yet been completed. Authorities maintain coordination with families and the consulates of the affected countries due to the possible presence of foreign citizens among the victims.
A 93-year-old woman injured in the Los Gallardos forest fire dies, raising the death toll to 13
The woman of British nationality, aged 93 years, who was admitted to the Torrecárdenas University Hospital after being injured in the Los Gallardos forest fire (Almería), died this Sunday, according to emergency sources.
The victim was admitted to the Emergency Room on July 10 and, after an initial assessment and stabilization, was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). She had burns on 20% of her body surface, in addition to serious pre-existing conditions.
Her death raises the number of people dead in the Los Gallardos fire to 13. The Minister of the Presidency, Health and Emergencies and First Vice President of the Junta de Andalucía, Antonio Sanz, has expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and relatives.
Belgium points to three possible victims from that country in the Los Gallardos fire
The Belgian Government points to three possible victims of Belgian nationality among those deceased in the Los Gallardos fire (Almería) after failing to contact them, although it has recalled that there is still no official confirmation from the Spanish authorities and that this could take a few days. According to a spokesperson from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Europa Press, no contact has been established with their missing citizens over the weekend, so “there are reasons to believe there are three Belgian victims”.
Furthermore, it has recalled that official confirmation from the Spanish authorities could take a few days. “The examination of the bodies, necessary to obtain irrefutable confirmation, could still take a few more days,” it added. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation is in contact with both Belgium and the United Kingdom to share information about the people from these countries affected by the fire in Los Gallardos (Almería), which has left a dozen dead.
Sadness and uncertainty upon returning home in Los Gallardos
The mayors of the Almerian towns affected by the fire that caused the death of twelve people and burned a perimeter of 40 kilometers are trying to manage the structural and emotional damage that this disaster has left in their municipalities and among their neighbors. Surrounded by a landscape stained black, on their return home this Sunday they have found structural and supply damages. In Los Gallardos, the epicenter municipality, its mayor, Francisco Miguel Reyes, describes the widespread discouragement: the neighbors “are sad” and “have no desire for anything” after having to “leave your home very scared”.
“There is uncertainty because you don’t know what will happen, and on top of everything, so many victims in the municipality of Bédar, it scares you a lot,” admits the mayor. Although the flames spared the main nucleus, the fire has left its mark on peripheral neighborhoods such as Los Burgos, Los Villaltas, or Alfaix. This municipality is immersed in urgent logistical work, “fixing water pipes” in the affected areas, while the City Council has unanimously decided to suspend its imminent patron saint festivities as a sign of institutional respect.
Two injured in an Infoca vehicle accident in the town of Bédar (Almería)
Two people were slightly injured this Sunday in an accident involving a vehicle from the Infoca Plan, the Andalusian forest fire fighting device, in the municipality of Bédar (Almería), according to the 112 emergency coordination center. The incident occurred at 18:55 hours near kilometer 3 or 4 of the AL-6109 road, in the ravine of Las Norias de Bédar, a road that has been closed to traffic as a result of the event.
The 112 received the alert from Levante Firefighters, who reported the accident of the vehicle belonging to the fire extinguishing device and requested the dispatch of medical personnel. A doctor who was off duty at the scene provided first aid to the two injured, awaiting the arrival of the medical teams that were mobilized to the area.
Experts warn about forest management problems: “The forest territory is the result of abandonment”
“When you have a garden, you know you have to take care of it, work it, and protect it. The forest is not a garden or a yard, but we also have to manage and intervene because not doing so means giving wings to fires as terrible as this one.”
This is how this interview by Cristina G. Lucio with Verónica Rodríguez Vicente begins, a doctor in Forestry Engineering and specialist in forest management and planning.
The 7,000 hectares burned by the fire in Almería seen from the air
The Civil Guard Air Service has released aerial images of the 7,000 hectares devastated by the fire in Almería.
Searches in Los Gallardos (Almería) conclude without finding more victims in the burned areas
The search device made up of about a hundred personnel that continued searches in the areas affected by the Los Gallardos (Almería) forest fire this Sunday has ended the searches without finding more fire victims. Sources from the Civil Guard Command told Europa Press that the tasks carried out throughout the morning together with members of the Andalusian Emergency Group (GREA) and the Military Emergency Unit (UME) ceased around 14:00 hours.
The meticulous search carried out on foot through previously hot spots that could not be explored included canine and drone support, focusing especially on ruined houses and ravines to ensure no missing person remained unfound.
Offices to channel aid for the Almería fire will open this Monday
The town councils of the municipalities affected by the serious forest fire in Los Gallardos (Almería) will open information offices this Monday to channel aid to neighbors affected by this disaster that has left twelve dead. The imminent opening of these offices was agreed this Sunday in an institutional meeting to address the recovery phase and explain the management of emergency aid, economic lines that will be formally activated once the emergency is declared over, according to municipal sources reported to EFE.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary General of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Interior, Virginia Barcones; the Government Deputy Delegate in Almería, José María Martín; the Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Almería, Aránzazu Martín; and the President of the Provincial Council, José Antonio García Alcaina. Alongside them were the mayors of the municipalities most affected by the fire: Francisco Miguel Reyes Martín (Los Gallardos), Pedro Ridao (Antas), Ángel Collado (Bédar), and Domingo Ramos (Lubrín).
Carlos III sends condolences to King Felipe VI for the victims of the Los Gallardos fire
The King of England, Carlos III, has sent his condolences to King Felipe VI for the tragic fire in Los Gallardos (Almería), which has so far left 12 dead. The British ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, confirmed this Sunday on social media that Carlos III sent “a message of condolences to His Majesty King Felipe” on his behalf and that of Queen Camilla with “his deepest sympathy and solidarity with those affected by this tragedy.”
Ellis, on behalf of his country, expressed relief at the news of the fire’s stabilization and gratitude to the consular team “in support of British citizens and their families, which will continue as long as necessary.” The ambassador finally thanked the emergency teams for “their continuous bravery and dedication” and reiterated his “solidarity with those affected and with the families facing moments of enormous anguish and uncertainty.”
Neighbors affected by the Los Gallardos fire return to their homes: “We are lucky but, what good are words if there are 12 dead?”
“Last night, the first evacuated people returned to their homes and this morning the neighbors of Los Castaños, Almocaízar (the fire’s zero point), Alfaix, and the camping site of Los Gallardos (Almería) were able to do so. You can still see in their faces and in the stories – many told with a choked voice – the remnants of a fire that, although controlled, is not yet extinguished.”
This is how this report by Candela Ibáñez (text) and Sergio González Valero (photos) from Los Gallardos begins.
Damage assessment and infrastructure recovery
The Emergency Center of the Provincial Council of Almería (CEDA) began this Sunday the recovery phase of services and infrastructures damaged by the Los Gallardos (Almería) forest fire, with the commitment to cover any maintenance or accommodation expenses derived from the emergency. After the fire was declared stabilized, the center held an urgent meeting coordinated with the Almerian town councils of Los Gallardos, Bédar, Antas, and Lubrín, in which the institution’s president, José Antonio García Alcaina, participated remotely from the Advanced Command Post (PMA) in Turre (Almería).
According to the Provincial Council, the priority objective is to carry out a thorough assessment of the damage caused in the affected area to establish action priorities, with special attention to checking the condition of provincial roads and ensuring water supply in all affected municipalities.
Evacuees begin returning home after fire stabilization in Almería: “It’s pure devastation”
Between shock and relief, evacuees from the devastating fire in southern Spain began returning home on Sunday after the fire was stabilized, which left 12 people dead while trying to escape the flames. “It’s scary because you’re hearing stories all the time: not just about houses, but also about people, and you realize you’re very lucky to be okay,” said Lore Van Moll, a 33-year-old Belgian citizen who was visiting her parents in the town of Alfaix when they had to be evacuated. “It’s a great relief,” she said upon returning to the family home, safe from the flames.
In this area of the Andalusian province of Almería, a few kilometers from the tourist Mediterranean coast, the charred bodies of cars caught by this frantic fire that advanced up to 100 meters per minute can still be seen. “We are very sad for the people who lost their homes and for the people and families who lost their lives. It’s pure devastation, we are totally devastated,” described James Shellingford, a 60-year-old British resident of Bédar, one of the disaster’s epicenters.
Los Gallardos (Almería) suspends its festivities due to forest fire with 12 dead
The Los Gallardos (Almería) town council agreed this Sunday in an extraordinary and urgent plenary session to unanimously suspend its patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgin of Carmen, due to the severity of the forest fire that has caused 12 deaths, eight missing, and eight injured. The municipality’s corporation, where the serious fire started last Thursday, made this decision in a session held at 13:40 hours, without prior debate and with the support of the nine councilors present out of the eleven that make up the council.
The suspended celebrations were scheduled to begin next Wednesday, the 15th, and were to last until Sunday the 19th. The mayor, Francisco Miguel Reyes, justified the urgency of the measure due to the natural disaster that occurred in recent days in the municipality, a disaster that also directly affected the neighboring towns of Bédar, Antas, and Lubrín.
The French government searches for a missing citizen in the Los Gallardos fire (Almería)
The French Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Cooperation has warned that a French woman may have disappeared in the Los Gallardos (Almería) forest fire that broke out last Thursday and assured that the French government “is in contact with the Spanish authorities” to confirm or deny the whereabouts of the citizen. She also warned that the situation in Almería requires “the utmost caution” and recommended that French people in Spain avoid any area affected by the flames.
So far, the number of missing persons reports due to the Los Gallardos fire remains eight, and the Biology Department of the Civil Guard’s Criminalistics Service has obtained the genetic profile of the twelve deceased in the fire. Despite this, the victims have not yet been identified.
Cuca Gamarra (PP) calls for collaboration because the fire “does not understand ideologies”
The Deputy Secretary of Institutional Regeneration of the Popular Party, Cuca Gamarra, has called for collaboration “between institutions and administrations” to fight the fire still active in Almería, which “does not understand ideologies” but requires “all available means and all planning and coordination”.
Gamarra, who participated this Sunday in the Basque PP’s tribute to the Popular councilor assassinated by ETA in Ermua 29 years ago, Miguel Ángel Blanco, sent her party’s support to “those who have lost relatives in the recent fires in Almería” and extended it to the personnel who “from Infoca (Andalusian Forest Fire Extinguishing Service), from UME (Military Emergency Unit), and from any other area are working every day to finally put out” the fire.
Furthermore, she called on “everyone” to “scrupulously comply with all the recommendations” given “by technicians and authorities,” as well as collaboration “between institutions and administrations to fight the fire”.
Technicians review the energy infrastructure of Los Gallardos
Endesa company technicians began early this Sunday to review the distribution network installations in the Los Gallardos (Almería) area after the forest fire that started last Thursday in the municipality left part of the neighbors without supply, working to progressively restore the supply.
The Los Gallardos City Council has confirmed that due to the fire, the Almocáizar neighborhood — where the flames are estimated to have originated — is without electricity supply, so teams are working to resolve the issue and restore service as soon as possible, asking for “patience and understanding.” Reports Europa Press,
An “imposing search device”
Juanma Moreno has stated that an “imposing search device” made up of about a hundred personnel will continue searches this Sunday in the areas affected by the forest fire to “completely finish the search” for possible victims, although the greatest hope is that “no more” deceased will appear.
Robles: “The best response is to work all together”
Margarita Robles: “Andalusia has experienced very hard moments because when a tragedy of this magnitude occurs, we are all with these people who have to leave their homes. When there are emergencies of this magnitude, the best response is to work all together. We have professionals who give everything so that the tragedy does not continue regardless of the uniform they wear. The UME is always where needed. It will be here as long as necessary. Infoca, UME, Firefighters, Civil Guard… all have been one. This is what makes a country great.”
Juanma Moreno appears alongside Margarita Robles and highlights cooperation between administrations
“Today we are lucky to have the Minister of Defense, who is responsible for the UME among other things. I want to positively value the coordination that has taken place in this fire, which has been very complicated to fight due to its speed and virulence. It would have been very difficult if there had not been that cooperation between the different administrations,” said Juanma Moreno.
France searches for one of its citizens in the area affected by the fire
The French government recommended this Sunday that its citizens avoid any area affected by the Almería forest fire, while it continues to search for a French citizen who is among the people possibly affected by the fire.
The Minister Delegate in charge of Francophonie, International Alliances, and French Abroad, Eléonore Caroit, stated that French authorities remain in contact with Spanish ones to clarify the situation.
“A French citizen is among the missing persons in Spain. We are in contact with the Spanish authorities on the ground to confirm or deny this information. The situation requires the utmost caution, and we recommend that French people in Spain avoid any area likely to be affected,” declared the minister on her social media.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed last night that the French Embassy in Madrid and the Consulate General in Seville maintain permanent contact with Spanish authorities and provide support to the family of the missing woman. It also specified that, for now, there is no confirmation of her death, so she remains among the missing persons. Reports Efe.
Robin spends the night alone in the Garrucha sports center
Robin, a 78-year-old Welshman evacuated from Los Pinos, had nowhere to sleep and refused to go to a hotel, so he spent the night alone in the Garrucha sports pavilion. He has been in contact with the town’s former mayor, Pedro Zamora, so he would not feel alone. “He insisted on staying, so I gave him my phone in case he needed anything,” says Zamora. Reports Esther Gómez.
Electrical technicians investigate another possible origin of the fire
In zone 0 of the fire, in Almocáizar, electrical technicians are inspecting the installations of an abandoned restaurant to verify if there was an electrical outlet with current as another possible origin of the fire, aggravated by the brush and garbage in the area. Reports Candela Ibáñez.
“The victim identification process is slow”
Juanma Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucía: “The identification process is slow. It is being carried out in Madrid, but it is complex due to the condition of the bodies.”
“A judicial investigation has been opened to verify the origin of the fire.”
“There are more than 20 fire outbreaks daily in the Community”
Juanma Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucía: “We have to take very seriously the consequences of climate change, which is leaving us with fires like this one.” “There are more than 20 fire outbreaks daily in the Community,” he emphasized.
“It is the beginning of the end of this terrifying fire”
Juanma Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucía: “It is the beginning of the end of this terrifying fire. It is one of the fastest fires we have had in Andalusia and perhaps in Spain. Now it is time to continue cooling the areas.”
Juanma Moreno: “The fire is stabilized; no flame danger”
Juanma Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucía: “We can give good news. The first is the stabilization of the fire: fire contained, no flame danger. In total, there are 7,000 hectares burned, with a 40-kilometer perimeter. We can announce that we would move to an emergency level 1. And the return of the 1,000 people who remain evacuated is authorized.”
A final search for possible victims
Virginia Barcones, Secretary General of Civil Protection and Emergencies, assured from the advanced command post installed in Turre (Almería) to RTVE that a final search will be carried out this Sunday for possible victims throughout the area affected by the Los Gallardos fire.
“A final search will be made, a thorough check of the entire area, which is why Civil Protection volunteers have also been activated.”
Experts warn that the “abandonment” of the forest predicts large fires in Andalusia
The Andalusian Forestry Association (AFA) has warned, after the Los Gallardos forest fire, that the “serious abandonment” of forests predicts “fires of an unknown magnitude until now” in Andalusia.
The group, made up of forestry sector professionals, has highlighted the “urgent need to promote a true sustainable forest management strategy, both in public forests and in privately owned ones,” believing that “the absence of management is at the root of the fire problem.”
“The current situation of serious abandonment suffered by our forests leads us to very harsh summers, in which not only our natural heritage is at risk, but also the well-being and safety of the inhabitants of Andalusia,” it added in statements to Efe.
Firefighting efforts continue
Firefighting efforts in Los Gallardos (Almería) have continued throughout the early hours of this Sunday by Infoca and UME, among other bodies.
The Second Emergency Intervention Battalion BIEM 2 of the UME extinguished reactivations during the night, secured the perimeter, and used drones to locate hot spots in El Chive, Lubrín, El Marchal, Bédar, and Los Gallardos, according to its social media. It also inspected roads and isolated houses in coordination with the Civil Guard.
Genetic profile of the 12 deceased in the fire obtained
The Biology Department of the Civil Guard’s Criminalistics Service has already obtained the genetic profile of the 12 deceased in the Los Gallardos (Almería) fire, although it has not been possible to identify any victim because their relatives are traveling to Spain from other countries to proceed with the biological sample matching.
According to the Integrated Data Center (CID), specifically established to face this emergency and activated on Friday morning, specialists have worked continuously since receiving the remains at the Institute of Legal Medicine.
The complexity of the process lies in collecting samples from relatives coming from abroad, although forensic experts and Scientific Police agents trust that the identification process can be completed in the coming hours. Likewise, the CID has emphasized that it is currently impossible to specify both the identity and nationality of the people who lost their lives in the disaster. Reports Efe.
