Spanish authorities have confirmed that 12 of the 13 people killed in a devastating wildfire in the southern region of Andalusia were foreign nationals, following the completion of post-mortem examinations.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, officials said the victims included seven people from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, one from France and one from the United States.
The remaining victim was a Spanish national.
The authorities also confirmed that those who died were eight women and five men, all of them adults.
The fire broke out last Thursday in the province of Almeria, a popular area on Spain’s Mediterranean coast that is home to a large international community. Strong winds rapidly spread the flames through forests and dry vegetation that had been left highly flammable by prolonged extreme heat.
The fast-moving blaze destroyed large areas of countryside, forcing residents to flee and leaving several rural communities severely damaged.
Emergency teams initially recovered 12 bodies that were so badly burnt that DNA analysis was required to establish their identities.
Investigators said the wildfire was triggered after an electrical cable fell onto a road. The blaze went on to burn around 7,000 hectares, or more than 17,000 acres, making it one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires in recent years.
Firefighters have since brought the blaze under control, and residents who were forced to evacuate have been allowed to return to their homes since Sunday.
Spain has faced increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures regularly climbing above 40°C during the summer. The hot and dry conditions have significantly increased the risk of large wildfires across the country.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 393,000 hectares of land were destroyed by wildfires in Spain during 2025, marking the highest annual total recorded in the country’s recent history.
