Almeria fire

Efforts to extinguish the fire in Los Gallardos continue while the perimeter is being secured

The flames, which have become more contained following the firefighting teams’ efforts on Saturday, have affected an area of 6,600 hectares that is now virtually contained

Aerial resources are working to bring the fire in Los Gallardos under control. (AFP)

E. P.

12/07/2026 a las 10:33h.

Efforts to extinguish the wildfire that broke out last Thursday afternoon in the municipality of Los Gallardos (Almeria) continue this Sunday, following a night ... during which members of Infoca, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and other organisations involved in the operation worked to secure the perimeter and prevent the fire from reigniting at hotspots.

The fires, which have become more contained following the firefighting teams’ efforts on Saturday and have affected an area of 6,600 hectares, remain active in certain specific locations, according to the latest images provided by Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation system.

Throughout the night, personnel from the Second Emergency Response Battalion (BIEM II) continued their efforts, extinguishing flare-ups, securing the perimeter and using drones to locate hotspots in neighbourhoods and towns such as El Chive, Lubrín, El Marchal, Bédar and Los Gallardos.

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Meanwhile, the UME has also spent part of the night checking roads and isolated homes that may have been affected by the fire; a task they have carried out in coordination with the Guardia Civil. The fire has claimed 12 lives and left 18 people injured, five of whom are in intensive care.

It was late on Saturday that the Andalusian regional government authorised the ‘safe return’ of more than 600 evacuated people to their homes and accommodation in Los Castaños, Almocaízar, Alfaix and the Los Gallardos campsite, as the ‘lockdown’ imposed in Lubrín was lifted.

The “favourable outlook” put forward by both the Andalusian regional government and the central government - with a significant reduction in wind and an increase in humidity - suggested that the fire might be deemed to have stabilised or been brought under control this Sunday.