Spain wildfires live: 12 dead ‘including Brits’ as blaze tears through expat village

The president of the Andalusian Regional Government, Juanma Moreno, described the blaze as “very tough and complex”.

He said: “It started in a roadside ditch, initially caused by a broken cable that ignited two separate fires.

“At first, it was a small urban fire that firefighters rushed to extinguish, but due to strong winds , it spread rapidly up the mountain, covering 15 kilometers in two hours and becoming a forest fire.”

Moreno said residents were immediately notified of the fire “in person”, with each resident receiving instructions depending on their location to either stay indoors or evacuate their homes.

The official said this approach was taken as emergency technicians advised against sending alert messages to mobile phones due to coverage problems in the area and due to the potential confusion it could have caused among residents.

The Andalusian regional government said: “The terrain’s topography and unique characteristics meant that each person affected would need to follow different and specific instructions depending on their location.

“Ultimately, the goal was to prevent some residents from receiving multiple, potentially contradictory messages due to the terrain and mobile network conditions.”

Moreno added: “Many of them were scattered. There are many farms in the area. They were given directions based on their location and what was safest for them, but some, unfortunately, seem to have ignored them, and this may have caused the tragic outcome.”