The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has spoken through a message on the social network 'X' about the forest fire affecting the municipalities of Los Gallardos and Bédar, in Almería, which has so far left eleven people dead, eight injured and 19 people unaccounted for. "Enormous sadness and desolation at the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almería," Sánchez wrote, who conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
The president has also shown his solidarity with the residents affected by the fire and has reported that personnel from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, Civil Protection and the State Security Forces and Corps are working in the area to collaborate in the extinction efforts, in support of the 150 Infoca personnel already deployed on the ground.
Enorme tristeza y desolación ante las terribles consecuencias del incendio que afecta a la provincia de Almería.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 9, 2026
Quiero trasladar mis condolencias para los familiares de las personas fallecidas en el incendio forestal de Los Gallardos.
Mis deseos de una pronta recuperación a…
Sánchez's words join those of other institutions, among them King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who in a statement expressed themselves as "deeply dismayed" by what happened and conveyed their recognition to the emergency services deployed in the area.
Profundamente consternados por la tragedia del incendio de Los Gallardos.
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) July 10, 2026
Expresamos nuestra tristeza y pesar a las familias y seres queridos de las personas fallecidas y hacia todos los afectados.
Trasladamos también nuestro reconocimiento y apoyo a los servicios de…
"An unprecedented tragedy"
According to the reconstruction offered by the Board, the affected people chose to seek an exit on their own, instead of remaining confined or following the evacuation routes established by the emergency services. Sanz described that escape route as "a real trap", as it was surrounded by the advance of the fire. In relation to the injured, four remain in serious condition due to burns of varying degrees and could be transferred to the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville, a reference center for this type of injury. Another four people have less serious injuries and remain under medical attention.
The device deployed to deal with the emergency continues to work on a fire that continues to be very complex due to the terrain relief. As Sanz explained, the flames are advancing through an area of ravines that are difficult for heavy machinery to access, and the "right flank is the most worrying" due to the risk of spreading to cultivated areas.
The latest update places the affected perimeter at about 3,150 hectares, while 122 people have had to be rehoused between the Lubrín theater and the Garrucha sports center. In addition, several population centers in eastern Almería remain evacuated, including Almocáizar, Fuente del Albarico, Los Pinos, La Serena, Pinar de Bédar and the Miraflores tourist complex.
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