Forest Fire in Andalusia Claims at Least Twelve Lives – Search for Missing Persons Continues

The responsible police unit announced that the genetic profiles of all victims are now available. However, DNA samples from relatives are needed for comparison purposes, and these relatives are still on their way to Spain. Until then, the basis for definitively identifying the deceased is lacking.

Cause and Missing Persons

A broken power line is suspected as the cause of the fire. The investigations into this are ongoing. Meanwhile, authorities continue to search for people who have been considered missing since the outbreak of the fire. "Die Behörden sprechen aber weiterhin von 23 Menschen, die von Angehörigen oder Bekannten vorübergehend als nicht auffindbar gemeldet worden seien". The number of official missing persons reports has recently risen to eight.

In the affected area around the municipalities of Los Gallardos and Bédar, around 500 firefighters, soldiers, and other helpers remain deployed. "Soldaten der Militärischen Nothilfeeinheit UME zusammen mit der Polizeieinheit Guardia Civil abgelegene Häuser und Zufahrtswege überprüften". Emergency personnel and volunteers combed through the fire zone once again to search for possible additional victims.

Emergency Personnel and Firefighting Operations

The head of government of the affected region of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, announced that the situation around the fire has now been stabilized. "Die Löscharbeiten würden durch deutlich schwächere Winde und eine höhere Luftfeuchtigkeit begünstigt". The goal is to bring the fire completely under control within the next few hours. The devastating forest fire in southern Spain is no longer spreading.

In the first hours of the fire on Thursday evening, around 1,000 people had to leave their homes. They continue to be housed, among other places, in apartments of relatives or in hotels. Around 600 previously evacuated individuals have since been allowed to return to their homes. Yesterday, additional localities had to be evacuated.

Victims and Identification

Authorities assume that the victims are predominantly tourists. The region on the Mediterranean coast is a popular destination for foreign visitors, particularly from Great Britain and Belgium. The consular authorities of these countries have been informed.

Parallel to the situation in Spain, the forest fire danger is also increasing in Germany. The German Weather Service expects the highest warning level for today in several regions. The southwest as well as Berlin and Brandenburg are particularly affected. The forest fire danger continues to increase in Germany.

Evacuations and Situation of the Population

The emergency personnel in Andalusia are focusing, following the stabilization of the situation, on the search for missing persons and the final control of the fire zone. The Military Emergency Unit UME and the Guardia Civil are working closely together in this effort. Volunteer helpers are also participating in the search.

Authorities emphasized that the identification of the victims must be carried out with the utmost care. As long as a definitive assignment is not possible, no names will be released. The relatives will be informed as quickly as possible once the results are available.

Forest Fire Danger Also in Germany

For the coming days, a further easing of the weather situation is expected, which should facilitate the firefighting operations. The operations command expects that the fire can be brought fully under control within the next few hours. A final assessment of the damage is not yet available.

The Spanish government has expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and has pledged support. The consular representations of affected states are also involved in the care of the relatives. The investigations into the cause of the fire through the defective power line are ongoing.

This news was broadcast on 12.07.2026 on the program Deutschlandfunk. Developments on the ground are being continuously updated by the authorities.

The cleanup operations in the affected municipalities are expected to take several days. In addition to the destroyed forest areas, agricultural land and isolated residential buildings are also affected. The exact damage assessment is currently being compiled.