Badly burned British couple rescued from ravine during Spain wildfires
A British couple were found in a dangerous ravine in Spain’s Almería province, badly scorched and semi‑conscious, while battling a wildfire that spread across the region Thursday night.
They had been hiking when the blaze erupted, forcing them into the ravine. Civil Guard officers, who were searching for survivors near Bedar, heard faint cries and descended the slope. The rescuers located the couple with burns covering 40 % of their bodies, pulled them out, and transported them to an intensive care unit for urgent treatment.
The incident comes amid a costly, fast‑moving wildfire season that has already taken 12 lives, including four British nationals, and scorched over 6,600 hectares (16,300 acres). The province’s fire‑fighting teams have counted nearly 1,500 people on the ground, with 600 evacuees told they could return after conditions improved.
Firefighters, the local army and 30 aircraft continued to be engaged in the blaze, with calm winds and increased humidity expected to help control the spread. Authorities plan to monitor the situation closely as the number of casualties rises and identification of the deceased becomes more urgent.
The summer's ferocious heat is a clear manifestation of climate change, which has accelerated Europe’s warming—doubling the global average. This phenomenon has intensified heatwaves, strained water supplies, and sparked even more severe wildfires across the continent, bringing to the fore the urgent need for comprehensive fire‑management and climate‑resilience strategies.
