Seven Britons Among 13 Fatalties in Spanish Wildfires

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:36:17 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Wildfires in Spain’s Almería province claim seven British nationals among 13 total deaths, catalyzing international grief.

Deadly fires swept across Almería on Thursday, killing 13 people – seven Britons, three Belgians, one Frencher, one American and one Spaniard. Spanish authorities confirmed the overseas victims after post‑mortem examinations, with the British cases involving the Gillam couple and survived by a local 70‑year‑old who escaped in a damaged car. Nearly 1,500 residents were evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze that covered around 7,000 hectares amid heatwaves that often exceed 40C.

Seven Britons were among the 13 people killed in the wildfires that raged across Spain’s southern Almería province on Thursday.

Spanish authorities confirmed that 12 of the victims were foreigners, with the remaining Spanish citizen identified after post‑mortem examinations, according to local media and AFP.

The deaths included the Gillam couple, Pete and Fran, residents of Bédar who have been living in the village where the blaze struck. Their daughter, Danielle, announced her parents’ death on Facebook, describing the family as “heart‑broken”.

Survivor Malcolm Timbrell, a 70‑year‑old British resident of Bédar, recounted how he was separated from his wife and friends during the eruption. He sought shelter in abandoned cars; four cars short‑circuited and he escaped by hiding in the last car with his cat.

Nearly 1,500 people were evacuated from the affected province as the firefighting teams fought against the flames. The fire, now contained, scorched 7,000 hectares (about 17,300 acres) of land amid temperatures that frequently exceed 40C. The incident has become one of Spain’s deadliest, with an ongoing international response from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.