Families seek public inquiry after deadly Spanish wildfire

Relatives of people killed in a wildfire in southern Spain are calling for a public inquiry into the disaster and the authorities’ response, after regional politicians rejected a proposal for a broader investigation into this year’s fires.

The blaze began near Los Gallardos in Almería province on 9 July and reached the Bédar area. Fifteen people died, including nine British nationals.

Duncan Chard, who lost his father Michael and Michael’s partner Christine, told the BBC that the rejection of an inquiry was “an insult”. He believes a timely evacuation warning would have saved his father’s life.

On 1 October, Andalusia’s parliament rejected a Socialist proposal for a commission covering the region’s 2026 wildfires, including prevention and emergency management. The governing People’s Party and far-right Vox voted against it. The BBC reported that both parties argued an ongoing criminal investigation would provide answers.

During the parliamentary debate, People’s Party representative Manuel Bonilla said the regional government had already faced parliamentary scrutiny, according to Europa Press. Vox representative Benito Morillo said he wanted to prevent the tragedy being used for political purposes.

No mobile emergency alert was sent during the Bédar fire. Andalusia’s emergencies chief, Antonio Sanz, said the system could not be tailored to individual communities: some residents needed to evacuate, while others were safer staying indoors. Officials also argued that an alert could have caused panic and traffic jams.

Accounts of other warnings vary. Five residents and survivors told Reuters they received no advice, while two others said they had been warned through channels including church bells, WhatsApp groups and visits to homes. The regional government said the mayor and other officials had gone door to door to give advice.

Danni Gillam-Kirton, whose parents Pete and Fran died, told the BBC that the criminal case was focused on how the fire started and might not examine the emergency response unless families paid lawyers to put evidence before the judge.

A family campaign is seeking €100,000 for legal and expert costs. It says it intends to join the criminal proceedings as a private prosecutor and press for scrutiny of warnings, evacuation decisions and emergency plans.