NPR Updates Death Toll in Spain Wildfire

The Associated Press updated its report on the Spain wildfire, increasing the death toll from 12 to at least 11, and adding details about the circumstances of the victims' deaths. The updated report states, 'Most of the victims died after ignoring shelter-in-place instructions, said Antonio Sanz, head of Andalusia's emergency services.' This change matters to readers as it provides a more nuanced understanding of the tragic events, highlighting the role of human error in the disaster. The updated information also mentions that some victims tried to escape via a dry riverbed that 'turned into a death trap,' further emphasizing the devastating consequences of the fire.

Related Changes

One of Spain's deadliest wildfires has killed at least 11 people +547 -458
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− Europe One of Spain's deadliest wildfires kills at least 12 people, with 23 others missing Updated July 10, 202610:09 AM ET Originally published July 10, 20264:53 AM ET By The Associated Press This image made from video provided by INFOCA shows firefighters battling a wildfire near Los Gallardos, Almeria, Spain, on Thursday.
+ Europe One of Spain's deadliest wildfires kills at least 12 people, with 23 others missing Updated July 10, 20262:17 PM ET Originally published July 10, 20264:53 AM ET By The Associated Press This image made from video provided by INFOCA shows firefighters battling a wildfire near Los Gallardos, Almeria, Spain, on Thursday.
− INFOCA/AP hide caption MADRID — One of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record killed 12 people overnight into Friday, authorities said, as soaring temperatures grip much of the country.
+ INFOCA/AP hide caption MADRID — A wildfire roared through a remote expat community in southern Spain overnight, killing at least 12 people as victims tried to flee the flames in cars and on foot, authorities said Friday. Eight people were injured and 23 missing, Andalusia's regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said.
− Several victims of the fire in the southern province of Almeria, a popular holiday destination, were found inside burnt-out vehicles and were thought to have died while trying to flee the flames.
+ The blaze, one of Spain's deadliest wildfires, broke out late Thursday in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains in Almeria province, as the country has been dealing with soaring temperatures.
− Eight people have been injured and a further 23 are unaccounted for, Andalusia's regional leader Juan Manuel Moreno said.
+ Most of the victims died after ignoring shelter-in-place instructions, said Antonio Sanz, head of Andalusia's emergency services.
− Some 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain's military emergency unit were battling the blaze, which has consumed more than 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres) of forest and farmland.
+ Some tried to escape via a dry riverbed that "turned into a death trap," he said.
− Regional emergency authorities said four British nationals and other unspecified foreign nationals appeared to be among the dead.
+ Four victims were believed to be British nationals because the steering wheel of their burned-out car was on the right side, as with British vehicles, regional authorities said. Other unspecified nationals also were believed to be among the dead, and the death toll was expected to rise, authorities said.
A map of Europe shows southern Spain's Almeria province, where a wildfire has struck amid high temperatures across the continent.
− Will Jarrett/AP hide caption The fire broke out in a hamlet in a semi-arid area near the Sierra de Los Filabres mountains. Authorities have not confirmed the cause, but said people who called to report the fire said that a fallen power line had sparked a blaze that spread rapidly into a nearby forest.
+ Will Jarrett/AP hide caption Seven people died while on foot after abandoning their cars, Sanz said, adding that most of the deceased were believed to be foreign nationals.
− Most of the victims died while attempting to flee and ignored shelter-in-place instructions, said Antonio Sanz, president of Andalusia's emergency services. One group did so via a dry riverbed, which "turned into a death trap," he said.
+ Dean Taylor, a resident who divides his time between Spain and the U.K., said he managed to just barely escape the neighborhood by using back roads to get out.
− Seven people died while on foot after abandoning their cars, Sanz said, likely looking for a way out. "The consequences have been terrible.
+ "It was quite terrifying," Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press.
− Everything seems to indicate that, in the case of the deceased ...
+ "It's a very sad day, isn't it?
− we are dealing for the most part, if not entirely, with foreign nationals," Sanz said.
+ It's devastating, really." The fire was still burning as of Friday afternoon. Some 150 firefighters and 220 soldiers from Spain's military emergency unit were battling the blaze, which had consumed more than 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres) of forest and farmland.
− Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences.
+ Moreno, the Andalusian regional leader, said containing the fire was difficult because of the steep, dry terrain. "It consists mainly of scrubland and esparto grass," Moreno said.
+ "Everything is extremely dry due to the heat waves, making it the perfect fuel; combined with the wind, it's a ticking time bomb." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences.
"Immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almeria," he wrote on X.
− Spain has battled frequent and severe heat waves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40 C (104 F).
+ A wildfire rages in Alfajir, near Almeria in southeastern Spain, Friday.
+ Gregorio Marrero/AP hide caption Europe battles intense heat again Spain has battled frequent and severe heat waves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40 C (104 F).
Wind, high temperatures and little rainfall help small wildfires grow into unchecked blazes. In June, Spain experienced several days of record-setting heat, with over 1,000 excess deaths attributed to heat.
− A wildfire rages in Alfajir, near Almeria in southeastern Spain, Friday.
+ Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
− Gregorio Marrero/AP hide caption Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Parts of Western Europe are facing their third heat wave in six weeks. Globally, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, bringing several intense heat waves across Europe. France is experiencing the peak of its third heat wave of the summer, with temperatures reaching 40 C (104 F) across western and central areas and around 37 C (98 F) in Paris. French authorities have also warned of a very high wildfire risk, as large fires in the south have already scorched thousands of hectares this week, disrupting the Tour de France cycling race and stretching firefighting resources.
− The largest wildfire, which broke out in the eastern Pyrenees, near the Spanish border, has decreased in intensity, authorities said Friday.
+ The largest wildfire, in the eastern Pyrenees near the Spanish border, had decreased in intensity by Friday, authorities said. But it has burned about 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) and forced the temporary evacuation of more than 10,000 people from nearly villages.
− It burned about 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people from nearly villages, who have since been allowed to return home.
Last month was France's hottest June on record, with deaths surging by nearly a third during the hottest week. Scientists warn that climate change caused in part by the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making certain regions more vulnerable to wildfires. Spain is no stranger to wildfires, with last year's fire season burning more than 393,000 hectares (almost 1,520 square miles), according to the European Forest Fire Information System, an area twice as large as London. Four people died.
− In 2017, a wildfire in neighboring Portugal left 66 people dead in Pedrogao Grande, located 200 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Lisbon.
+ Spain's deadliest wildfire was in 1979 when 21 people perished in Lloret de Mar, a coastal town about an hour north of Barcelona.
+ In 2017, a wildfire in neighboring Portugal left 66 people dead in Pedrogao Grande, located 200 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Lisbon.
In that blaze, 47 people died on one road while similarly attempting to flee in their cars. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor