A British couple have been found badly burned and semi-conscious in a Spanish ravine amid deadly wildfires that have swept through the country’s Almería province, according to local media reports.
The couple were on holiday in the region and were thought to be out hiking when they were caught up in the wildfire, which has so far killed 12 people and burned more than 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres). At least 23 people are missing.
They were found on Thursday by Guardia Civil officers who were searching the charred landscape near the worst-hit community of Bédar for survivors. They found the couple in a critical condition, semi-conscious and with severe burns covering 40% of their bodies, before they were airlifted to hospital in a two-hour rescue operation.
They remain in hospital in intensive care. Sgt Pedro Barre, one of three officers involved in the search operation, told Spain’s TVE state broadcaster officers heard a sound in the distance but at first thought it was an echo.
He said: “As you gain more experience, something inside you tells you: ‘Look again, try one more time.’ We’ll never forget that look of surprise and emotion on their faces.”
Rafael Zea, another of the officers involved in the operation, said: “Being able to call out in the condition they were in was a titanic effort.”
On Saturday afternoon, after high winds eased, firefighters were able to start gaining control of the flames. On Sunday, Andalusia’s regional government head, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, said the fire had been contained and its perimeter secured.
At least 1,400 people have been evacuated from their homes due to the blaze, which has involved more than 500 firefighters and emergency workers.
Most of those killed are thought to be British and Belgian nationals, along with one Spaniard. Forensic scientists in Madrid are using samples from the bodies of the victims and DNA samples from the families of those reported missing to try to identify the dead.
It is one of the deadliest wildfires in Spanish history, with officials saying the damage to the landscape made it look “like a bomb has gone off”.
Bonilla said the dry weather, caused by high winds and several heatwaves fuelled by the climate crisis, had made the area a “ticking timebomb” for a wildfire.