A massive fire that broke out in southern Spain killed at least 12 people on Friday, while 23 others remain missing, as firefighters struggle to contain one of the deadliest fires in the country's history.

The head of the emergency service in the Andalusia region, Antonio Sanz, said the victims include one Spaniard, and the rest appear to be foreign nationals who ignored instructions to stay in place and tried to flee in their cars as the fire spread rapidly in a forested area around the town of Los Gallardos in Almería province.

The area is a popular tourist destination and home to many foreigners, especially French, British and Belgians.

Sanz added that four people, who appeared to be British because the car's steering wheel was on the right side, died inside one car.

He noted that the bodies of eight others were found after they apparently left their cars and tried to flee on foot via a road that was not part of the evacuation plan.

A fire engine passes as smoke and flames rise from a wildfire sweeping through Almería province in the Alfais area of Spain, July 10, 2026. - REUTERS

Sanz pointed out that many of the charred bodies still need to be identified through DNA testing.

The governor of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno, described the fire to journalists as "one of the fastest and most complex fires we have experienced."

Moreno added that the fire has so far burned 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres), and stronger winds are expected later.

He speculated that some of the missing may be hikers who were caught off guard by the fire. Rescue workers found several walking sticks at the scene.

These conditions are similar to what happened in neighboring Portugal in June 2017, when a massive fire broke out during an intense heatwave and killed more than 60 people, half of whom died burned inside their cars.

Early start to the wildfire season

Sweltering heatwaves that hit Spain early in the summer have dried out large areas, making them vulnerable to fires in an early start to the wildfire season.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System indicates that about 57,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of the year, nearly half the annual average over the past two decades and representing 40% of the total burned area in the European Union.

Román García, a firefighter from Salamanca, said on Spanish television: 'We usually don't see these fires until August. They are starting earlier now because the vegetation is drying out faster.'

Moreno went on to say that the fire is believed to have been caused by a broken power cable that fell into a ditch by the road and moved 15 kilometers in two hours. However, a spokesman for the electricity company Endesa denied this, saying the cable was not carrying any electrical current.

He added that Spain will face a very difficult wildfire season after heavy winter rains spurred dense growth of vegetation that dried out to become perfect fuel for fires. He continued: 'We still have a long summer ahead.'