On Air Now

The Chill Out Zone

10:00pm - Midnight

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

Seven Britons among 13 dead after wildfires in Spain

Two more British nationals are confirmed dead after wildfires in southern Spain.

A spokeswoman for the Guardia Civil in Almeria said the seven were among 13 who died from the blazes, along with three from Belgium and one from each of the US, France and Spain.

The Andalusian government said a 93-year-old British woman had died after she was taken to hospital on Friday with burns to about 20% of her body.

Another four British victims were found after their bodies were discovered in a burnt-out car.

It comes as Spain continues its recovery efforts from one of its deadliest wildfires on record after more than 7,000 hectares burned in Almeria when it broke out on Thursday.

On Monday, Spain's forensic services data unit, the CID, said ten people were still missing.

Investigators said DNA analysis remains the only viable identification method because of the condition of the remains.

Almeria is home to one of the largest communities of foreign nationals in Andalusia.

Read more: What is a 'firewave'?

The president of the regional government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, said on Sunday that the fire had been contained and its perimeter secured.

More than 1,000 residents ⁠were given the all-clear to return to their homes in the evacuated villages north of Los Gallardos on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Moreno urged citizens to remain vigilant throughout the summer, noting that in Andalusia, Spain's most populous region, an average of 15 forest fires ⁠were breaking out every day, rising at times to as many ​as 22.

Spain and much of southern Europe, including Portugal and Greece, is facing increasingly severe wildfire seasons that scientists have linked to climate change.

See more from Sky News:
Trump flip-flops on Iran
Water boss sees Burnham 'risk'

Joe McNorton, scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, told Sky News that "dry fuels and extreme fire weather combined with strong winds to drive rapid fire spread" last week.

He added that in Spain, in contrast to the UK's gradual drying of existing vegetation, "unusually wet conditions earlier in the spring promoted vegetation growth and increased the amount of fuel available to burn".

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: Seven Britons among 13 dead after wildfires in Spain

Want to See More from This is the Coast?

Click here to set This is the Coast as a preferred source on Google search.

Love living on the Yorkshire Coast? So do we.

This is the Coast is 100% locally owned and operated. We don’t rely on public funding or government grants—we rely on our community.

Producing trusted, fact-checked local news takes time and resources. If you value having a dedicated team of professional journalists fighting for our region, please consider supporting us.

Help keep the Yorkshire Coast informed for the price of a coffee a month.

Support Local Journalism Today

More from World News

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Sunny intervals

    High: 18°C | Low: 14°C

  • Filey

    Sunny intervals

    High: 19°C | Low: 15°C

  • Whitby

    Sunny intervals

    High: 19°C | Low: 14°C

  • Bridlington

    Sunny intervals

    High: 18°C | Low: 14°C

  • Hornsea

    Sunny intervals

    High: 19°C | Low: 13°C

  • Driffield

    Sunny intervals

    High: 21°C | Low: 12°C

News