British Woman Dies, Wildfire Death Toll Reaches 13 in Spain

A 93-year-old British woman has died from injuries sustained in a devastating wildfire in Almeria, Spain, raising the death toll to at least 13. Regional authorities in Andalusia confirmed the fatality on July 12, stating the woman had been hospitalized after being injured in the Los Gallardos fire.

The wildfire, described as one of the most tragic in Spain's history, scorched an estimated 7,000 hectares. Officials believe a broken power line likely sparked the blaze on Thursday. While the fire is now under control, allowing about 600 of the 1,500 evacuated residents to return home, authorities are proceeding cautiously with missing persons reports pending autopsies and body identifications.

Spain has been grappling with increasingly severe heatwaves, with temperatures often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. These extreme weather conditions create a fertile ground for destructive wildfires. In 2025 alone, fires consumed over 393,000 hectares across Spain, resulting in eight deaths, 86 injuries, and the evacuation of 42,000 people, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).