Spain Battles One Of Its Deadliest Wildfires Amid Extreme Heat



Wildfire in southern Spain on July 10, 2026. Photo Credit: Wcdde2, Wikipedia Commons

July 12, 2026 
EurActiv
By Charles Cohen
Key TakeawaysDeadly wildfire in Andalusia, Spain: A blaze in Los Gallardos has killed 12 people (mostly British and Belgian nationals), injured at least 8, displaced 1,448 residents, and left 23 missing after burning 6,600 hectares.
Ongoing emergency response: Around 500 firefighters are battling the fire; the region remains on high alert with extreme risk in parts of Andalusia, though Friday night allowed better mobilisation.
EU support and broader context: Ursula von der Leyen offered support as the EU deploys 777 firefighters preventively; Spain is also receiving €120.55 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for last year’s fires amid record heat and heightened summer risks.

(EurActiv) — A wildfire in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia has killed 12 people and injured at least eight, making it one of the country’s deadliest in recent history.

The fire broke out on Thursday in Los Gallardos, Andalusia, and has since spread across 6,600 hectares, with around 500 emergency personnel battling the blaze on the ground.


On Saturday, Antonio Sanz, vice president of the Andalusian regional government and regional minister for emergencies, said Friday night had passed “relatively well,” allowing firefighters to mobilise more easily.

However, the region remains on high alert, with an extreme wildfire risk persisting across parts of northern and southeastern Andalusia, according to regional authorities.

A total of 1,448 residents have been displaced, and at least 23 people remain missing. Andalusia’s regional leader, Juan Manuel Moreno, said on Friday that most of the 12 people killed are believed to be British and Belgian nationals.

The natural disaster is one of Spain’s deadliest on record, according to local reports, followed by similar events in the Canary Islands in 1984 and in Lloret de Mar in 1979.

“We offer our full support to Spain and to the brave firefighters and rescue workers who are tackling this emergency,” Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, saidon Friday on social media.

The EU executive announced this week that 777 firefighters from across the bloc would be deployed preventively to high-risk areas in member states, including Spain, as the country braces for high temperatures this summer.

Last month, the country recorded its highest daily average temperatures since 1950, with temperatures reaching 42°C in parts of the country.

Spain already endured severe wildfires last year, prompting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to announce in May that the country would deploy its largest-ever wildfire response this summer.

Earlier this week, MEPs approved the allocation of €120.55 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help Madrid respond to the damage caused by last year’s wildfires, after the Council backed the measure last month.