Deadly Spain Wildfire Nears Containment as Hundreds Return Home

A devastating wildfire in southern Spain that has claimed at least 12 lives is on the verge of being brought under control, officials announced Sunday, as hundreds of evacuated residents were permitted to return to their homes and firefighters continued working to fully stabilize the blaze.

Regional emergency chief Antonio Sanz confirmed late Saturday that approximately 600 of the nearly 1,500 people evacuated from the fire-ravaged areas in Almería province had been allowed to go back, following significant progress in containing the inferno. The fire, which broke out earlier this week, has scorched vast stretches of forest and agricultural land, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

“The attack carried out today and the stabilization of much of the perimeter have made it possible to adopt these measures and continue moving, always with the utmost caution, toward a return to normality,” Sanz said in a statement issued by the regional government of Andalusia, as quoted by AFP.

The improved outlook came after a day of markedly better weather conditions, with calmer winds and higher air humidity enabling ground crews and aerial units to mount a more direct and effective assault on the flames. Justice Minister Félix Bolaños noted Saturday that firefighting teams had capitalized on these favorable shifts to edge closer to full containment.

According to Bolaños, the burned area remained at approximately 6,600 hectares (16,300 acres), as the fire made no significant advances on Saturday. However, the human and material toll is already severe: burned-out vehicles still line some roads where people were trapped as the fast-moving blaze tore through the region at speeds of up to 100 meters (330 feet) per minute, leaving little time for escape.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to visit the devastated area on Monday, where he is expected to meet with emergency responders, local officials, and affected families, and discuss the government’s response and recovery efforts.

Authorities have so far maintained the death toll at 12, but have cautioned that the number of missing persons remains uncertain until autopsies and the formal identification of recovered bodies are completed. Officials have also indicated that many of the victims may be foreign nationals, adding a layer of complexity to the identification process, which has been slowed by the challenge of collecting DNA samples from relatives traveling from other countries.

Despite the improving conditions on the ground, the Civil Guard police planned another comprehensive search of the affected area on Sunday to ensure that no victims remain unaccounted for. “The Civil Guard has entered more than 250 homes to verify that no one was inside, and it will now carry out one final sweep of the area to make a complete check that no one else remains,” Virginia Barcones, secretary-general for Civil Protection, told Spain’s public broadcaster on Sunday.

Local communities are now beginning the long process of recovery, with many returning to find their homes damaged or destroyed. Shelters and emergency accommodations remain open for those still unable to return, and mental health support teams have been deployed to assist survivors coping with the trauma of the disaster. As the immediate threat recedes, attention is turning to investigating the cause of the fire whether accidental or potentially deliberate and to reinforcing preventive measures against future outbreaks in a region increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions linked to climate change.

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