Seven British nationals have been confirmed among the 13 victims of one of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record, officials announced late Sunday. The wildfires, which broke out last Thursday in the Almeria region, have also ravaged parts of France as Western Europe endured its third heatwave in six weeks.
Identification of Victims Completed
Andalucia's High Court of Justice confirmed that identification of all victims was completed on Sunday afternoon. The deceased include one Spaniard and 12 foreign nationals: seven from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, one from France, one from the United States, and one Spanish citizen. Among the 13 dead, eight are women and five men, all adults. One victim died in hospital.
A 93-year-old British woman was confirmed among the victims after being taken to hospital on Friday with burns covering 20% of her body. Her death was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, according to the Andalusian government.
Survivor's Harrowing Account
British pensioner Malcolm Timbrell, 70, described how he survived by sheltering in an abandoned car with his cat after becoming separated from his wife Annette Kilgore, 69, and their group as flames surged through the village of Bedar. The couple had moved to Spain after appearing on Channel 4's A Place in the Sun.
Mr Timbrell told the BBC: 'My wife and our other seven friends and neighbours – against me screaming at them not to – decided the only safe way was to walk out in front of the firewall. I've subsequently heard that that firewall was moving at 20 kilometres per hour, plus. They had no chance.' He had gone back to retrieve their two cats and found the group had abandoned their vehicles to flee on foot.
Rescue of Two British Hikers
Two British hikers were found alive but badly burned by Civil Guard officers, who had a 'feeling' to recheck the area. Sergeant Pedro Barre told Spanish broadcaster RTVE: 'That experience we accumulate over the years is what tells you: take another look, give it one last try, check again just in case.' The pair, believed to have suffered 40% burns, are in serious condition in hospital but their lives are not in danger.
Evacuations and Fire Intensity
Authorities proactively evacuated 1,448 people from 11 areas. At its peak, flames advanced at 100 meters per minute. Spain's justice minister attributed the ferocity of the Almeria wildfire to a 'climate emergency.'
Spain has experienced frequent severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often exceeding 40°C. In June, record-setting heat led to more than 1,000 excess deaths. The country's deadliest wildfire was in 1979, when 21 people died in Lloret de Mar.
