Four Britons have died in the raging Spanish wildfires on the Costa Almeria, with a further 23 people still missing. Local officials have warned the death toll could rise as the blaze continues to devastate the region.
Eyewitness Accounts of the Blaze
British expats have described their narrow escapes from the fire. Richard Walker, a former West Yorkshire firefighter, said: "It was horrendous. People were caught out by the speed it spread. I worked as a fireman for 15 years and I've been to moorland fires, but I've never seen anything this ferocious."
Walker, who was at his home near Bedar when the fire took hold, recounted: "I was on the top terrace and I could see smoke. Then a friend called, an expat astronomer, who told me there was a fire and the wind was blowing it in the direction of Bedar. He said keep your eye on it. I told my girlfriend to pack a small bag because we were getting out."
He went to his neighbours' property where two teenage girls were staying. "We know their parents so I went round and told them, 'Get off the TikTok and get off the mountain'. We all got in the car and you could already see the flames advancing. If we'd left it 10 minutes, the road would've been impassible. I believe some people may have perished there. The flames were raging. You could see down the valley the smoke was getting thicker and thicker."
Other Survivors' Stories
Jackie Handscombe, originally from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has lived near Bedar for 10 years and escaped with her partner Simon Farmiloe. She said: "On Thursday evening, I just saw smoke and thought, 'This doesn't look good'. I took the dog for a walk, started preparing dinner and put the tennis on. Then I checked again and just thought, 'Oh s***'. I rang my neighbour and said, 'We need to get out, quick'. It was like a red wall of flames, it was frightening. It looked angry. I just wanted to get out. Everything is scorched. I've never seen anything like this."
Paul Thompson, from Sussex, fled his holiday villa on Thursday night. "We managed to get out. We decided to leave when we saw the flames, we had to leave everything behind. All we've got is the clothes we're wearing. We don't know what's happened to the villa, the neighbouring one was gutted. We're hoping ours is all right. We've been given no indication when we might be able to go back."
Official Response and Investigation
The Guardia Civil has blocked off all access to the mountain areas where the fire raged, with holidaymakers and homeowners told to evacuate. A fleet of heavy lift helicopters continues to dump water on areas where the fires are still smouldering.
Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's health and emergencies minister, said the fire had burned across 6,600 hectares (16,300 acres) of land. The cause has been attributed to a fallen power line, but local electricity companies have denied this. No additional information has been given about the four people found dead in a burnt-out car. Mr Sanz said previously they are believed to be "of British origin" and that the car had a steering wheel on the right.
Mr Sanz added: "This is the first day we will be able to mount a direct attack on the fire. Until now, weather conditions and the behaviour of the blaze only allowed us to work defensively." He noted that the rapid fire had been complex to tackle and the majority or even all of the victims may have been foreign nationals.
