Spanish Wildfire Victims Burned in Cars as Roads Turned into Death Traps

July 10, 2026 - At least 12 people have died and 23 remain missing after a devastating wildfire swept through Los Gallardos in Almería province, southern Spain, authorities confirmed.

The fire, believed to have been started by a downed power line, spread rapidly through the drought-stricken region, trapping victims in their vehicles as they attempted to flee. Andalusia emergency chief Juan Manuel Sánchez Moreno confirmed that four people died in a single vehicle when flames overtook them on escape routes.

"Four people died in one car," Sánchez said. "The roads became death traps as the fire moved with incredible speed."

Early indications suggest that four of the victims were British nationals, though formal identification is still underway. The blaze has forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents from Los Gallardos and surrounding areas, with many finding temporary shelter in nearby municipalities.

Over 150 firefighters, supported by water-bombing helicopters and ground crews, continue to battle the blaze that has consumed thousands of hectares of forest and agricultural land. The fire is currently described as "out of control" by local authorities.

This wildfire is part of a broader pattern of extreme fires sweeping across southern Europe, driven by an unprecedented heatwave that has seen temperatures consistently above 40°C (104°F) for over a week. Similar fires have been reported in neighboring France and Portugal.

The regional government has declared a state of emergency and is coordinating rescue efforts with national emergency services. Psychological support teams have been deployed to assist survivors and families of the missing.

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning
devastating	adjective	/ˈdɛvəsteɪtɪŋ/	causing great damage or destruction
drought-stricken	adjective	/draʊtˈstrɪkən/	suffering from a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall
evacuation	noun	/ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃən/	the process of moving people away from a dangerous place
municipalities	noun	/mjuːˌnɪsɪˈpælɪtiz/	cities or towns with their own local government
consumed	verb	/kənˈsjuːmd/	destroyed completely by fire
agricultural	adjective	/�æɡrɪkʌltʃərəl/	relating to farming or crop production
unprecedented	adjective	/ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/	never done or known before
hectares	noun	/ˈhɛkteəz/	a unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters
declared	verb	/dɪˈklɛərd/	officially announced or stated
coordinates	verb	/kəʊˈɔːdɪneɪts/	organizes or brings together different elements to work effectively
deployed	verb	/dɪˈplɔɪd/	moved troops or equipment into position for military action
psychological	adjective	/ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/	affecting or arising in the mind; related to the mental and emotional state
survivors	noun	/səˈvaɪvərz/	people who remain alive after an event in which others have died
municipalities	noun	/mjuːˌnɪsɪˈpælɪtiz/	cities or towns with their own local government
trapped	verb/adjective	/træpt/	unable to escape from a dangerous or unpleasant situation

Grammar Point 1: Past Perfect Tense

Used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Example from text: "Four people had died in a single vehicle when flames overtook them on escape routes."

Structure: Subject + had + past participle

Usage: To show that one past action happened before another past action.

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Grammar Point 2: Passive Voice

Used when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer.

Example from text: "The blaze has forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents..."

Structure: Subject + be + past participle (+ by + agent - optional)

Usage: To emphasize the action or when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

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Grammar Point 3: Present Perfect Continuous

Used to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

Example from text: "Over 150 firefighters [...] continue to battle the blaze..."

Structure: Subject + have/has been + verb-ing

Usage: To emphasize the duration of an activity that started in the past and is still ongoing.

Section A: Vocabulary (5 questions)

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence:

1. The fire spread rapidly through the __________ region, making it extremely difficult to control.
   1. drought-stricken
   2. devastated
   3. abandoned
   4. fertile
2. Many residents found temporary shelter in nearby __________ after being evacuated.
   1. factories
   2. municipalities
   3. factories
   4. industrial zones
3. The wildfire has __________ thousands of hectares of forest and agricultural land.
   1. visited
   2. toured
   3. consumed
   4. visited
4. Psychological support teams have been __________ to assist survivors.
   1. sent
   2. deployed
   3. traveled
   4. journeyed
5. This is an __________ heatwave, with temperatures never recorded before in this region.
   1. usual
   2. common
   3. unprecedented
   4. expected

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Section B: Grammar (5 questions)

Choose the correct grammatical form to complete each sentence:

1. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire __________ already destroyed several homes.
   1. has
   2. had
   3. have
   4. having
2. Hundreds of residents __________ evacuated from the affected areas yesterday.
   1. was
   2. were
   3. are
   4. is
3. The regional government __________ a state of emergency last night.
   1. declares
   2. declared
   3. declaring
   4. has declared
4. Over 150 firefighters __________ to battle the blaze for more than 24 hours.
   1. has been
   2. have been
   3. is being
   4. are being
5. Early indications suggest that four victims __________ British nationals.
   1. is
   2. are
   3. was
   4. been

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Section C: Reading Comprehension (5 questions)

Answer the following questions based on the article:

1. What is believed to have caused the wildfire in Los Gallardos?
2. How many people were confirmed dead and how many were reported missing?
3. What did the Andalusia emergency chief say about the roads during the fire?
4. What weather condition contributed to the spread of the wildfire across southern Europe?
5. What kind of support has been provided to survivors and families of the missing?

Section A: Vocabulary Answers

1. a) drought-stricken
2. b) municipalities
3. c) consumed
4. b) deployed
5. c) unprecedented

Section B: Grammar Answers

1. b) had
2. b) were
3. b) declared
4. b) have been
5. b) are

Section C: Reading Comprehension Answers

1. The wildfire is believed to have been started by a downed power line.
2. At least 12 people have died and 23 remain missing.
3. The Andalusia emergency chief said the roads became "death traps" as the fire moved with incredible speed.
4. An unprecedented heatwave with temperatures consistently above 40°C (104°F) contributed to the spread of the wildfire.
5. Psychological support teams have been deployed to assist survivors and families of the missing.

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