A woman hospitalized in Seville after the Los Gallardos wildfire has died, raising the death toll to 14. Three more victims remain in critical care. The fire, extinguished after 16 days, is the deadliest in Andalusia.
The number of fatalities from the Los Gallardos wildfire in Almería has climbed to 14 after a woman being treated at the Hospital Virgen del Rocío in Seville died from severe burns. Hospital sources and the Andalusian regional government confirmed her death on Tuesday. The patient, whose age and nationality have not been disclosed, had suffered burns over 70% of her body and was admitted in critical condition. She had been under continuous care from intensive medicine and burn specialists since her arrival.
This latest death makes the Los Gallardos blaze the deadliest wildfire in Andalusia’s recent history. The fire broke out on July 9 and was only declared fully extinguished in the early hours of July 25, after burning for 16 days. During the initial hours of the disaster, the Guardia Civil discovered the bodies of 12 victims. Another woman, hospitalized in Almería, died from her injuries on July 12. Three more people rescued from the fire remain hospitalized in Seville, still receiving treatment for serious burns.
Authorities have so far identified 13 of the 14 victims: one Spanish national and twelve foreigners, including three Belgians, one French citizen, and one American. Nine of the deceased are women and five are men, all adults. The regional government has not yet released details about the identity of the most recent victim. The fire destroyed 5,200 hectares of land, according to figures presented last week by Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s Vice President and Minister for the Presidency, Health, and Emergencies, during a parliamentary session on the government’s response to the disaster.
The handling of the emergency has sparked criticism from opposition parties, who are demanding a formal investigation. The Andalusian PSOE has announced its intention to participate in the judicial inquiry led by Court Number 3 in Vera (Almería). Key questions include why phase 1 of the emergency plan, designed to protect the population, was not activated until three hours after the first emergency call, by which time around 50 people had already been evacuated. There are also concerns about the failure to send an Es Alert notification, reportedly due to the breakdown of the Bédar base station responsible for transmitting the alert signal. However, the PSOE’s Rodrigo Sánchez Haro argues that the area was covered by several mobile operators and that these networks did not go offline until 11 p.m.
Wildfires have become an increasing concern across Spain in recent years, with several regions facing devastating blazes and mass evacuations. For example, large-scale evacuations were recently carried out in Castellón as another wildfire forced thousands from their homes. The Los Gallardos incident has renewed debate over emergency protocols, communication failures, and the adequacy of regional response measures. As investigations continue, the focus remains on supporting survivors and clarifying the sequence of decisions made during the crisis. The tragedy has also highlighted the importance of specialized burn care units, such as those at Hospital Virgen del Rocío, which play a critical role in treating victims of large-scale fires. With climate conditions contributing to more frequent and intense wildfires, authorities face mounting pressure to improve prevention and response strategies across Spain.