Firefighters in Spain's southeastern province of Almería have begun efforts to contain one of the country's deadliest wildfires in recent years. The blaze killed at least 12 people and forced more communities to evacuate from their homes.

Emergency officials said crews shifted from defensive operations to actively attacking the fire on Saturday (11 July), although the wildfire continues to burn across rugged terrain near the municipality of Bédar.

More than 1,400 people have been evacuated to safety as a precaution, while more than 500 firefighters, emergency personnel and military units remain deployed to combat the blaze.

Victims yet to be identified

Autopsies have been completed on the 12 people who died in the fire, but authorities said the victims have not yet been formally identified.

According to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Almería, DNA samples have been sent to Madrid for analysis and comparison with samples provided by relatives.

Officials believe most of the victims are British and Belgian nationals, along with one Spanish citizen.

Eight people were injured in the wildfire, four of them seriously, and remain in hospital in Seville.

Authorities said seven people have been officially reported missing, significantly fewer than the initial informal estimates.

Firefighters move to contain blaze

Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's head of emergency services, described the wildfire as "complex" but said crews had successfully prevented it from crossing a major highway towards more densely populated coastal areas.

"So far we have been engaged in defence work, to prevent advances," Sanz said.

"Today is the first day we will be able to work on attacking the fire."

Emergency services said the western flank of the blaze remains the most active, with approximately 6,600 hectares already destroyed.

Residents describe rapid spread

Witnesses said the wildfire spread with extraordinary speed, advancing as much as 15 kilometres in two hours, fuelled by strong winds and dry conditions.

Parish priest Víctor Manuel Fernández recalled watching smoke rise in the distance before the situation escalated dramatically.

"I figured they would put it out because our firefighters always react very rapidly," he said.

"But when we came out of the Mass there was a cloud of black smoke and looking up at the mountains, the flames were devouring everything. It was a matter of minutes."

The wildfire is among several major fires to hit southern Europe this summer, as prolonged heat and drought continue to heighten wildfire risks across the Mediterranean region.

Read more:

• At least 12 killed in Spanish region's 'most devastating' fires to date
• WHO warns of growing health threat as extreme heat grips Central Asia
• Southern Europe braces for fresh heatwave as wildfire threat intensifies

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