The number of British people killed in the devastating wildfires in southeastern Spain has risen to five, Spanish officials confirmed on July 14, 2026. The High Court of Andalucia announced that three additional victims were identified in the afternoon, including a British woman, bringing the total identified to nine out of 13 victims.
Identification of victims
Earlier, police reported that a 93-year-old British woman died in hospital, and three of the first six victims identified through DNA tests were from the UK. Among the identified are expat couple Pete and Fran Gillam, whose daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton had flown to Spain after they went missing. In a Facebook post, she said: 'Natalie Gillam Lindsay and I are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire.'
The High Court of Andalucia stated: 'During the course of the afternoon, the identification of three more victims of the Los Gallardos fire has been completed. In this case, they are a married couple of Belgian origin and a woman from the United Kingdom.' The court added that three of the 13 victims remain unidentified.
Details of the wildfire
The wildfire started on July 9 in Los Gallardos, Almeria, before spreading to Bedar, where many British pensioners reside. Of the 13 deceased, five are British, three Belgian, one French, and one Spanish. All were adults. Four men and five women have been identified, with eight foreign nationals and one Spanish citizen.
Another three Brits with serious burns are believed to be among four patients airlifted to a specialist burns unit in Seville. A British couple survived after being trapped in a ravine during a hike; rescuers found them semi-conscious with 40% burns.
Ongoing response
Families of the nine identified victims have been notified in person by Guardia Civil officers accompanied by a psychologist. The Foreign Office has been approached for comment. The fire continues to be investigated, and authorities expect to confirm the remaining identities later.
