It tore across the hillsides with terrifying speed, trapping people in homes and cars — and leaving at least 12 dead. Now, after three days of relentless flames in southern Spain, firefighters say the wildfire is close to being brought under control.
At its most ferocious, the fast-moving fire surged through the area at speeds of up to 100 metres per minute, turning evacuations into split-second decisions and forcing residents to flee with little warning.
RTÉ’s Dimitri O’Donnell meets some of those affected by the wildfire as they return home to assess the damage.
Southern Spain has some of the country’s most scenic and tranquil locations.
In Bedar — a town of around 1,000 residents and one of the villages worst hit — the calm that typically defines this part of Andalusia gave way to urgency as the blaze advanced on Thursday, sending people scrambling to leave their homes.
Even three days after the wildfires began, the sharp smell of ash from charred forest cover and foliage lingers, a reminder of how quickly the landscape changed.
Residents have been returning to assess the damage.
‘Really special place to live’
Nicki Wilkinson said the the sense of calm in the area has been shattered
British national Nicki Wilkinson has lived in Andalusia for 21 years and is based in Mojacar, near Los Gallardos — the village where the fires started on Thursday evening.
She said the region draws retirees and others seeking a slower pace of life, pulled in by the scenery and the close-knit feel of the communities scattered across the countryside.
“It’s beautiful, because it’s a wonderful way of life. We live in a landscape which is privileged in this world, and there’s a wonderful community feeling here as well. Many other reasons, but it’s a really special place to live in,” Ms Wilkinson said.
That tranquility — so synonymous with this corner of Spain — fractured on Thursday as the flames spread rapidly, putting communities in danger and leaving some people trapped in their homes and vehicles.
Watch: Dimitri O’Donnell reports from southern Spain
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“This has been the biggest fire we’ve ever seen. It’s been phenomenal,” Ms Wilkinson added.
“It’s devastating because people have been taken from their homes. They had to leave in an emergency situation, so they’ve had to leave farms with animals, livestock.
“And because the winds were changing and crossing so fast, people were getting trapped and they couldn’t come out. So the impact has been massive, and it’s only just begun,” she warned.
The vegetation that has been destroyed around the town of Bedar
Authorities believe a downed power line that fell onto dry vegetation may have sparked the fires, though local electricity companies have denied this is the cause of Spain’s worst wildfires in more than 20 years.
In the small hamlet of Los Gallardos, residents have been edging back in, step by step, to see what remains and to measure what has been lost.
Many described Thursday’s unfolding scenes as “scary” — and some fear it signals a future in which communities here, and across Spain, face this threat more often as soaring temperatures trigger more wildfires.
Several weeks of intense heatwaves have left Almeria’s normally lush landscape scorched and bone dry.
Those parched conditions have created an environment where fires can race out of control, pushing into communities and placing people directly in harm’s way.
People waiting to return home
Steve Malchar fears some of his friends may have died in the fires
For British national Steve Malchar and his wife Wendy, who have lived in Bedar for four years, the danger became real the moment they drove back and saw flames consuming the hills near their property.
“It was scary, because it took hold so fast. The information was very sketchy, and then we were just seeing the hills that were alight, and then we just took [off], we just made our own arrangements,” Mr Malchar said.
He said he feels fortunate to be alive — but remains fearful that friends may not have escaped.
The couple are waiting for official confirmation from Spanish authorities on whether their British friends died in the blaze.
“It was only by chance that I could have been caught up in it,” he said.
“Our best friends, from our understanding, was that they turned into the fire and not away from the fire, and they were caught, tried to reverse, turn the car around, but it wasn’t possible.
“Car caught fire, and that’s the last we heard,” Mr Malchar said.
Still waiting for approval to return home and assess the damage, Mr Malchar said the response on the ground has shown the strength of local ties.
“We’re a very tight community, and they’ve all pulled together. And it’s times like this, they all pull together,” he said.
Scorch marks seen on the hill above the road
Firefighting crews have halted the Los Gallardos fire from spreading further, but they have not ruled out more blazes to come.
With temperatures still hotter than normal, authorities have urged residents to take extreme care as deadly wildfires become a regular — and increasingly lethal — occurrence across southern Europe.
