Wildfires in Spain's Aragon region burn over 7,600 hectares, thousands evacuated
A wildfire in Spain's Aragon region has burned over 7,600 hectares, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate as emergency services battle the blaze.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A series of devastating wildfires has swept across Spain, with the most deadly outbreak in the southern province of Almeria killing at least 13 people and forcing thousands to flee their homes. The blaze, which began on Thursday afternoon near the village of Los Gallardos, spread with terrifying speed through the arid countryside, fuelled by strong winds and a prolonged heatwave that has seen temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Among the dead are four British nationals whose bodies were found in a burnt-out car with the steering wheel on the right-hand side. Another British couple on a hiking trip were rescued in a critical condition, suffering severe burns. The fire, which has now been brought under control, burned through more than 6,000 hectares of land and destroyed homes in the village of Bedar, an area popular with British expats and tourists. Local authorities initially blamed a fallen power line for sparking the fire, but the electricity company Endesa has denied that the cable was live. The regional government has declared three days of mourning. Meanwhile, a separate large wildfire in the northern Aragon region has burned over 7,600 hectares, forcing the evacuation of at least 1,000 people from six villages. That fire, near Zaragoza, is the largest in Spain this year, with a perimeter stretching 37 miles. Emergency military units have been deployed to assist firefighters. The twin disasters come as much of southern Europe endures a record-breaking heatwave, with scientists warning that climate change is making such extreme fire weather more likely. In the UK, the hot and dry conditions have also sparked wildfires in several areas, including a major blaze on Conwy Mountain in North Wales that forced dozens of homes to be evacuated. Fire services have warned of an exceptional risk of wildfires across parts of England and Wales as the heatwave continues.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC NEWS | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At least 11 to 12 people died in the wildfire. | |||||||
| Four British people were among the dead or feared dead in the wildfire. | |||||||
| Between 19 and 23 people were reported missing after the wildfire. | · | ||||||
| More than 2,500-2,750 people died in heatwaves in England and Wales in May and June, with around 550 deaths in May and 2,200 in June. | · | ||||||
| The wildfire was reportedly caused by a downed power line, with some electrical companies denying responsibility. | · | ||||||
| A British couple were found alive with severe burns and are in intensive care. | · | · | |||||
| Firefighters were beginning to contain the flames. | · | · | |||||
| The fire burned between 3,000 and 6,000 hectares. | · | · | · | ||||
| A major incident was declared for a wildfire on Conwy Mountain in North Wales. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Climate change has increased the likelihood of extreme fire weather conditions. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Human-caused climate change contributed to the heatwave deaths, adding 3-4 degrees Celsius to temperatures and being responsible for about 42% of the excess deaths. | · | · | · | · | |||
| The wildfire occurred in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, near the town of Los Galados. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the human tragedy and the British victims, with detailed on-the-ground reporting from correspondents Nick Beek and Guy Hedgecoe. The coverage emphasised the speed of the fire, the confusion over evacuation routes, and the dispute over the cause. It also linked the event to the broader context of climate change and heatwaves across Europe.
- “It might be that in searching for an escape route too late the escape routes were not suitable and they found themselves in a dead end, a trap with practically no way out.”
- “The fire was blamed on a power line that fell down, although several electrical companies denied that was the cause.”
Sky News provided extensive live coverage and expert analysis, including interviews with a climate scientist and a local English-language radio station owner. The channel highlighted the speed of the fire, the danger to British expats, and the role of climate change in making such fires more intense. It also reported on the fire's stabilisation and the return of evacuees.
- “Unfortunately in this case the decision to take a route other than the evacuation route, the decision to seek their own way out through a dry river bed was a trap chosen by the people who ultimately died.”
- “We know that the extreme heat events and summer drought events that drive these really intense wildfires are becoming much more likely with climate change.”
Channel 5 focused on the human impact, particularly the efforts to rescue animals and the stories of British expats. The coverage included a report from an animal shelter and interviews with survivors. It also updated the death toll to 13 and mentioned the Aragon fire briefly.
- “We are busy with setting up groups, small groups that are going into the mountains, and to see if we can find any animal that is still alive that needs our help”
- “Seven Brits are among the 13 people killed in wildfires in southern Spain.”
BBC One West provided detailed on-the-ground reporting from Almeria, including interviews with survivors and a British man who lost his wife. The coverage highlighted the lack of mobile phone warnings and criticised local officials for victim-blaming. It also covered the UK wildfires and the broader heatwave context.
- “You need to get your act sorted and please don't try and victim-blame afterwards. Do not do that, because these people that died, they had no instructions to follow.”
- “It's nobody's fault. Nobody can be blamed for this.”
ITV News provided comprehensive coverage of both the Almeria and Aragon fires. The channel emphasised the scale of the Aragon fire, calling it the largest in Spain this year, and included dramatic aerial footage. It also reported on the British victims in Almeria and the rescue of a British couple. The tone was factual and urgent.
- “It's an amphitheatre of flames, with the perimeter stretching 37 miles across the northeast, making it the largest wildfire in Spain this year.”
- “The strong winds and the amount of fuel are causing the fire to spread very quickly and there are times when it is beyond our capacity to extinguish it.”
BBC Two's Newsnight focused on the human stories, including an interview with a Belgian couple who lost their bed and breakfast. The programme also featured expert analysis on the link between climate change and extreme fire weather, with a scientist explaining how heatwaves and drought increase fire risk. The tone was analytical and empathetic.
- “It's a war zone, it was a war zone. There was fire everywhere, miles and miles on the road there was fire.”
- “We're going to rebuild it. We're going to start from scratch. We're going to rebuild it.”
Channel 4 News provided in-depth reporting on the Almeria fire, including interviews with survivors and a focus on the failure of warning systems. The channel also covered the UK heatwave and its health impacts, linking the fires to climate change. The tone was investigative and critical of authorities.
- “Local officials have claimed that the victims didn't follow their guidance whether that was to stay at home or only to take certain routes out. But the son of one of those killed, a Belgian man, has said that his father received absolutely no warning or information whatsoever.”
- “Those who died did so in such intense heat that their remains have been boxed up and sent to a lab in Madrid”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.