Seven Britons among those killed in Spain wildfires

Lead

At least 13 people have died in wildfires that tore through the Almería province in south-eastern Spain, with officials confirming that seven of the victims were from the United Kingdom. The fire, which has now been contained, burned through approximately 7,000 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,500 people.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the tragedy combines official statistics with a personal account from a British survivor. The authorities have released details on the nationalities and demographics of the victims, while interviews with a survivor provide an emotional perspective on the speed and ferocity of the blaze.

Key Claims

According to a statement from officials, seven of the victims were from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, one from France, one from the United States, and one was a Spanish citizen. An official public body stated that the 13 people who died were eight women and five men, all adults.

The fire, which has been contained, destroyed approximately 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of land, according to authorities. Nearly 1,500 people were evacuated from the province as firefighters battled the flames.

Among the British victims were a couple identified as Pete and Fran Gillam, who lived in the village of Bédar, the area most affected by the fire. Their deaths were confirmed by their family, who posted on Facebook that they were "heartbroken" to receive police confirmation that their parents did not survive.

British survivor Malcolm Timbrell, aged 70, spoke to the BBC outside his destroyed home in Bédar. He described how he became separated from his wife, Annette Kilgore, aged 69, and a group of friends and neighbours as the flames approached. Timbrell said he had initially gone back to their house to rescue their cats, Charlie and Lilly, and then attempted to catch up with the group, who had decided to walk out in front of the fire. He later heard that the fire wall was moving at 20 kilometres per hour.

Timbrell survived by taking refuge in abandoned cars, recounting: "Of the six cars, four of them instantly combusted and as each one started to go, I moved back one car. For some reason of fate, the last two cars... survived. And I survived inside the last one with a cat."

He and Kilgore had found their property after appearing on the Channel 4 programme A Place in the Sun. Timbrell said of his partner of 17 years: "She was such a happy, outgoing person. We have had an amazing life together — and now it's stopped."

Perspectives

Authorities: Officials provided the breakdown of victims' nationalities and confirmed all were adults, while the public body responsible for victim identification detailed the gender distribution.

Survivor's testimony: Malcolm Timbrell, a British resident of Bédar, described his personal experience of the fire, including the decision to save his cats, the separation from his wife and friends, and his survival in a car amidst the flames.