Seven British victims confirmed in Spain's Almeria wildfires as death toll rises to 13

Seven of the people killed in one of Spain's deadliest wildfires on record have been confirmed as British, officials said on Wednesday, as the death toll in Almeria rose to 13. The fires broke out last Thursday during a severe heatwave and have also affected parts of France. Bodies were found near the village of Bedar, where some of those caught up in the blaze are believed to have tried to escape on foot after abandoning their vehicles.

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Forensic experts began identifying the dead two days before the latest update, according to officials. The Andalusian government said a 93-year-old British woman was taken to hospital on Friday after suffering burns to about 20% of her body, and her death was confirmed on Sunday afternoon. Two British hikers were also found alive but badly burned on Sunday, with reports saying they had suffered burns to about 40% of their bodies.

Civil Guard officers said they found the pair after deciding to return to an area they had already checked. The wildfire has had a particular impact on British residents and visitors in the area. One British pensioner said he survived by sheltering in an abandoned car with his cat after becoming separated from his wife, friends and neighbours as flames moved through Bedar.

He said the group had initially planned to flee by car, but later left their vehicles and tried to escape on foot through rugged terrain. The account suggests how quickly the fire spread and how difficult evacuation became for people in its path. The deaths add to the wider toll from a summer of extreme heat across western Europe.

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The fires broke out as parts of the region experienced their third heatwave in six weeks, and the blaze in Spain has also ravaged areas of France. Wildfires in such conditions can move rapidly, leaving little time for residents, tourists and emergency services to react. The confirmed British fatalities also underline the cross-border impact of the disaster, given the number of foreign nationals living in or visiting the affected region.

The village of Bedar has emerged as one of the focal points of the tragedy, with bodies found nearby after people apparently tried to flee through difficult ground. The incident has also drawn attention to the risks faced by older residents and by those who may not be able to move quickly once a fire front advances. The fact that some victims were found after abandoning vehicles suggests that road access or visibility may have become unsafe as the flames spread.

What remains unclear is the full identity of all 13 victims and the final scale of the damage across the affected areas. Officials have not yet given a complete account of how the fire developed or how many people were injured beyond those already confirmed. The next updates are likely to focus on the completion of forensic identification, the condition of the surviving British hikers, and any further assessment of how the fire spread through Almeria and beyond.

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