A fire truck next to a forest fire in Los Gallardos, near Almeria, Spain.
A British couple on holiday in Spain have been found alive in a ravine, badly burned and nearly unconscious, after being caught in a devastating bushfire that has killed at least 12 people in the south-eastern province of Almeria.The couple are believed to have been hiking when the fire spread quickly on Thursday, and they were rescued after Civil Guard officers heard faint cries for help while searching for survivors near the worst-hit village of Bidar. They were airlifted to hospital and remain in intensive care with severe burns covering about 40% of their bodies.The forest fires have destroyed more than 6,000 hectares and are among the deadliest fires in modern Spanish history.
Authorities have not yet officially identified the victims, although many of those killed are believed to be British and Belgian citizens.The “look again” instinct led to the rescueThe dramatic rescue operation began in the early hours of Friday after officers searching the charred hills heard what they initially described as an echo.“As you gain more experience, there is something inside you that tells you: Look again, try again,” Sergeant Pedro Barry told Spanish state broadcaster TVE.
After hearing the sound, the three-member team descended a steep hillside and found the couple seriously injured but still alive. The rescue operation took approximately two hours.“Being able to communicate the situation they were in was a herculean effort,” fellow officer Rafael Zee said.“We will never forget the look of surprise and emotion on their faces,” Berry added.The couple are among eight people taken to hospital with serious burns.Firefighters are making progressFirefighters said calm winds and high humidity on Saturday helped them bring the blaze under control, although officials warned it was still difficult to contain the blaze.More than 500 firefighters and emergency personnel, supported by military units and firefighting aircraft, continued to fight the fire. About 1,400 people were evacuated from the affected areas, with hundreds allowed to return to their homes after conditions improved.Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s regional emergency chief, said emergency crews had so far focused on preventing the fire from reaching densely populated coastal towns.He added, “So far we are carrying out defensive actions to prevent advances. Today is the first day in which we will be able to work on attacking the fire.”Residents return to uncertaintyDozens of residents gathered outside the city of Badar on Sunday, anxiously waiting for permission to inspect their homes.They included Mike and Belinda Lythgoe from Cornwall, who have a holiday home near the village and have spent the past few days sleeping in their van with their dog.“We are waiting to see if our house is still there,” Belinda said, adding that she remains optimistic because the smoke appeared to move away from their property as they fled.Others criticized the authorities’ handling of the emergency. Resident Emma Mitchell questioned why officials did not issue a mobile emergency alert, saying more people could have been warned in time.Local authorities defended the decision, saying a mass alert may have reached people outside the danger zone and complicated evacuation efforts.Arrests for eviction violationsThe Civil Guard said that two people were arrested on charges of serious disobedience after ignoring police orders and returning to evacuated areas.Officials urged residents to comply with evacuation instructions, warning that entering restricted areas put civilians and emergency responders at risk.Meanwhile, forensic experts in Madrid are using DNA samples from victims and relatives of the missing to identify those who died in the fire.One of the most dangerous forest fires in SpainWith at least 12 deaths confirmed, the Almeria wildfires are among Spain’s deadliest on record.The disaster comes amid an intense summer heatwave that has pushed temperatures to nearly 40 degrees Celsius across southern Europe, fueling devastating wildfires in Spain, France and Portugal.Scientists say rising global temperatures linked to climate change are increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heatwaves and wildfires across Europe, the fastest-warming continent in the world.
