Hundreds of residents from Aldea del Fresno and Los Gallardos were evacuated after a massive wildfire swept through Almería on July 10 [5].
The disaster marks one of the deadliest fire events in the region, forcing emergency services to coordinate large-scale displacements and search-and-rescue operations in difficult terrain.
Evacuees were transported to the Villamanta sports center, where the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) installed beds for those displaced [1]. Volunteers at the center provided water, food, and psychological support to the survivors. The speed of the fire left many with little time to secure their belongings.
"Nos dieron diez minutos para coger lo esencial," Patricia Garlic said to El País [1].
Other residents described a scene of chaos as they attempted to flee by foot or car. One resident said to MSN, "No sé qué pasará con mi casa, venía una nube de humo negro" [2].
Firefighters said the blaze was fueled by wind gusts reaching 50 kilometers per hour [4]. These conditions contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, which trapped some victims before they could find an exit [3].
Casualty reports vary among sources. MSN reported at least 11 deaths [2], while Hola reported at least 12 [1]. Additionally, 23 people remain missing [1]. The scale of the tragedy has led some reports to describe it as the worst fire of the century in Andalusia [2].
Emergency crews continue to monitor the affected areas as the community begins to assess the damage to homes, and infrastructure in the Los Gallardos province [3].
“"Nos dieron diez minutos para coger lo esencial"”
The high death toll and the number of missing persons indicate a catastrophic failure of evacuation windows, likely exacerbated by the 50 km/h wind speeds. The reliance on the Military Emergencies Unit for basic bedding underscores the scale of the displacement, suggesting that local municipal infrastructure was insufficient to handle a disaster of this magnitude.
