British tourists have described scenes of "absolute terror" as they fled a raging wildfire that has left at least 12 people dead and 23 missing in southern Spain. The devastating blaze, which is believed to have started on Thursday afternoon when an electricity pole fell in woodland near Los Gallardos, Almería, spread with alarming speed.
Lucinda Curtois and Riyaz Cheytan, who had just arrived for a family holiday, were by the pool in Bédar when they received an evacuation notice from their neighbours. Within 15 minutes, a "tiny haze" turned into "black smoke" and then "flames", prompting them to hastily grab clothes and make for the main road – only to find it blocked by fire and evacuating coaches.
Another British resident, Peter Chapman, who was staying in his holiday home in Mojacar, initially thought a storm was approaching as the sky darkened. But when the distinct smell of smoke filled the air, he likened the distant glow of the fire to his mother's descriptions of the London bombings during World War Two – calling it "surreal". Others, like Peter Rowlinson from Los Gallardos, were forced to evacuate due to the "horrendous" smoke and praised the community spirit as locals offered shelter to hundreds of displaced individuals.
Francisco Miguel Reyes, mayor of Los Gallardos, described the scale of devastation as unprecedented, saying it felt "like a bomb has fallen" on the municipality. The fire has been tackled by hundreds of firefighters, military personnel, and 30 aircraft – but has also taken a heavy toll on livelihoods.
Jose Antonio Flores, a local resident, watched in despair as decades of his agricultural work were consumed by flames, lamenting the loss of 600 orange trees. Wildfires are a recurring concern in southern Europe during the summer months, often exacerbated by high temperatures and dry conditions – serving as a stark reminder of the potential dangers in popular tourist regions.