'Ring the Bells': Residents Recall Escape From Deadly Spanish Wildfire
Authorities suspect a broken power line sparked the blaze as firefighters battled extreme heat and isolated homes slowed warnings and escapes.
- On Saturday, July 11, 2026, a wildfire near Bedar in Spain's Almeria Province killed at least 12 people. The blaze scorched over 6,000 hectares near the Mediterranean coast, devastating an area popular with foreign residents.
- Authorities suspect the wildfire began when a power line broke as Spain sweltered in extreme heat, creating tinderbox conditions. Many Britons and other foreign residents lived in isolated homes outside the village, complicating evacuation efforts.
- As black smoke engulfed the area, 87-year-old Briton Austin Crilly recalled police ordering residents to 'take your money, take your cards and get out.' Many fled without belongings as the fire spread rapidly through the region.
- Evacuees are receiving support from the Red Cross in the coastal town of Garrucha. Officials noted some victims had not followed evacuation orders, resulting in deaths among those trapped in vehicles or fleeing on foot.
- Despite the trauma, British couple Martin and Elizabeth Smith expressed continued affection for Spain. The fire hasn't changed their commitment to returning, with Smith stating, 'It hasn't put us off coming to Spain.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej Today‘Ring the bells’: Residents recall escape from deadly Spanish wildfire
LOS GALLARDOS (Spain), July 12 — As flames raced toward the Spanish village of Bedar, Manoli Ramos received a desperate order from the mayor: run to the church and ring the bells to warn residents of the danger closing in.“We rang the bells many times so people would know,” the 72-year-old Bedar town councillor told AFP in the nearby town of Los Gallardos, where she has sought refuge since the blaze broke out on Thursday.Twelve people died after…
Two days after the outbreak of the fierce fires in the Spanish province of Almería, the fire department is getting the fire increasingly under control. People from the affected areas still cannot comprehend what has happened to them. Never before have so many people lost their lives due to a wildfire in Spain. While the first evacuees are already allowed to return home, there are still many people for whom that is too dangerous. They are stayin…
As flames approached the Spanish village of Bedar, Manoli Ramos received desperate orders from the mayor: run to the church and ring the bells to warn residents of the impending danger. "We rang the bells many times so people knew about it," the 72-year-old Bedar councillor told AFP in the nearby town of Los Gallardos, where she had sought shelter after...
'Ring the bells': residents recall escape from deadly Spanish wildfire
"We rang the bells many times so people would know," the 72-year-old Bedar town councillor told AFP in the nearby town of Los Gallardos, where she has sought refuge since the blaze broke out on Thursday. Twelve people died after getting trapped in vehicles and as they tried to flee on foot -- most of them foreigners, according to officials. The blaze has torn through over 6,000 hectares of land and devastated an area that had become a peaceful r…
In the province of Almería, the evacuees testify to panic and solidarity in the face of a devastating forest fire that cost the lives of 12 people "Go to the church and ring the bells
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