A wildfire near the municipality of Los Gallardos in Almería province, southern Spain, killed at least 12 people, with some victims found inside vehicles, according to The New York Times.
According to the Andalusia emergency service, early calls from the scene described a power line that had fallen and started a fire, which quickly moved into forested terrain. Hospital treatment was required for two individuals — one for burn injuries and another for smoke inhalation — and four additional people were seen at the scene for minor burns and breathing difficulties, according to The Times.
Firefighting efforts drew on a contingent of 150 personnel, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced via social media that Spain's military emergency unit had been called in as well, according to The Times.
Residents in neighborhoods surrounding Los Gallardos were told to leave their homes. The same day, a separate fire in Málaga province forced roughly 1,000 people out of Benhavís, according to The Times.
Forecasters have cautioned that an unusually intense stretch of summer heat across Europe has sharply elevated the threat of wildfires. Earlier this week, a fire burning in the French Pyrenees along the Spanish border prompted the evacuation of more than 10,000 people, according to The Times.
Researchers say the trend toward more frequent and severe heat waves is global, and that Europe is outpacing every other region of the world in the rate at which temperatures are climbing.
Update, July 11, 2026: More than 1,400 people were injured in the wildfire, and the number of firefighting and emergency personnel battling the blaze has grown to approximately 400. Most of the 12 victims were foreigners, including Belgians and Britons, and the fire spread nearly 10 miles in two hours. (per CBS News)