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Andalusian Delay Fuels Deadly Almería Wildfire, 12 Killed

7/13/2026

37 4 Full Breakdown

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Andalusian Government Delays

The Andalusian regional government was criticized for delaying an emergency mobile-phone alert as the Almería blaze spread.
A wildfire that burned 7,000 hectares in Almería, Spain, left at least 12 dead, 23 missing and eight injured.
President Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla called the blaze a fast, complex ‘ticking time-bomb’.
Transport minister Óscar Puente blamed cuts to firefighting staff and the regional delay of alerts.

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Sanchez Visits Blaze

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will travel to the disaster zone on July 13 to assess the damage.
A wildfire burned about 7,000 hectares, killing twelve people trapped in vehicles as firefighters, soldiers, and aircraft fought the flames.
Officials say a broken power line sparked the blaze during a heatwave exceeding 40 °C.
Many victims, believed to be foreign nationals, faced July 11 winds that let firefighters attack flames.

History

Historical Context

The 2003 European heatwave, the continent’s hottest summer since at least 1540, triggered severe drought and wildfires that burned about 215,000 hectares in Portugal and caused over 70,000 excess deaths across Europe. The disaster highlighted the need for coordinated response, prompting the EU to pursue a unified emergency-alert system to shorten response times.

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Andalusian Government Delays

The Andalusian regional government was criticized for delaying an emergency mobile-phone alert as the Almería blaze spread.
A wildfire that burned 7,000 hectares in Almería, Spain, left at least 12 dead, 23 missing and eight injured.
President Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla called the blaze a fast, complex ‘ticking time-bomb’.
Transport minister Óscar Puente blamed cuts to firefighting staff and the regional delay of alerts.

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