Belgian victim's son disputes Spanish wildfire warnings

The son of a Belgian man who died in Spanish wildfires has challenged official accounts, asserting that his father and other victims received no guidance from emergency services.

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The people who died did not fail to follow any orders because no orders were given. No information was provided.

Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, a Belgian virologist, stated that his father, businessman Stanislas Verdonckt, was among eight victims found dead after a wildfire swept through the Bedar area in Spain's Almeria province. Verdonckt, who traveled to Spain after the fire, spoke with neighbors and learned that no officials warned the group about the approaching fire or advised them to shelter in place.

"The people who died did not fail to follow any orders because no orders were given. No information was provided," Verdonckt said. He explained that the victims attempted to flee by car but were turned back by flames, as they had not been warned in advance. When their escape route became impassable, they tried to flee on foot into a valley.

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They only started to run when the flames were almost upon them. That was their absolute last resort.

Spanish authorities, including the Bedar mayor, claimed that officials had gone door-to-door or telephoned residents with evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions. However, the Andalusian regional government and the Spanish Civil Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Verdonckt's contradictory account. The wildfires ultimately claimed 12 lives, primarily foreigners, as they attempted to escape the blaze.

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They couldn’t get through via the main road because they were not warned in advance. Nobody told them that the fire was coming from that direction, and when they tried to get out, it was too late.