The wildfire in Southern Spain has killed 13 people and has been described as the "biggest fire we've ever seen."
People were trapped as the fire swept through the area at a high speed of up to 100 metres per minute, according to a report in RTE.
Bedar, a town located in Southern Spain, was one of the villages worst affected by wildfires. The town is home to around 1,000 residents who were forced to flee their homes as the fires worsened on Thursday.
Those affected have returned to their homes to assess the damage.
A British woman, Nicki Wilkinson, who has lived in Andalusia for 21 years, told RTE that this fire is the "biggest fire we've ever seen. It's been phenomenal."
"It’s devastating because people have been taken from their homes. They had to leave in an emergency situation, so they've had to leave farms with animals, livestock. And because the winds were changing and crossing so fast, people were getting trapped and they couldn't come out. So the impact has been massive, and it's only just begun," she continued.
It is currently believed that a power line falling onto dry vegetation sparked the fires, however, local electricity companies have denied that this is the cause of the devastating wildfires.
According to RTE, authorities told locals to stay at home and the deaths occurred when people tried to evacuate their cars.
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez released a statement on the devastating wildfires. He said: “We’re feeling immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almería,” he said. “I want to convey my condolences to the families of those who died in the Los Gallardos forest fire. My wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured and my solidarity with all the affected neighbours.”
Sánchez announced a plan to prepare the country for climate emergencies. He warned, “If we don’t want to bequeath our children a Spain that’s grey from fire and flames, or a Spain that’s brown from floods, then we need a Spain that’s greener.” The Spanish Prime Minister stated that last August's wildfires caused by extreme heat and burned through the country needed "human and technical deployment."
Firefighters have stopped the fire from spreading but they have not ruled out more blazes to come.
