Spain

Spain Wildfire Kills 12, Forces 1K to Evacuate

Is El Niño a devastating sign of accelerating climate change or just routine weather variability blown out of proportion?

JUL 10·Updated JUL 11

Spain Wildfire Kills 12, Forces 1K to Evacuate

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Above: View of the forest fire in Imarcoain, Navarre, Spain, on July 5. Image credit: Eduardo Sanz/Europa Press/Getty Images

The Facts

A wildfire in the Los Gallardos area of Almería province in southern Spain killed 12 people, the Emergency Agency of Andalucía said early on Friday. Around 1,000 residents were evacuated as roads were closed.
Daily Mail
BBC News
EMA 112 on X
Some 150 firefighters backed by five fire trucks battled the blaze, which broke out near Bédar as temperatures neared 40°C. Spain's Military Emergency Unit, deployed in major emergencies, also joined the firefighting effort.
EuroNews
Express
Witnesses told authorities the fire may have started after a power line fell, igniting dry vegetation before spreading rapidly through surrounding woodland, though authorities have not confirmed the cause.
Reuters
The Local
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At least eight people were injured in the blaze, including one taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and another with burns. Four others were treated at the scene for minor burns and respiratory problems from heavy smoke.
The Telegraph
Guardian
EuroNews
BBC News
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was "deeply saddened" by the fire's consequences. Sánchez had announced in May that Spain would deploy its largest-ever summer wildfire response.
Daily Mail
The Local
Pedro Sánchez on X
Nearly 400,000 hectares burned in Spain last year, the highest figure recorded by the European Forest Fire Information System. Early summer heatwaves across western Europe have parched vast areas, as Europe warms at more than twice the global average.
Reuters
Express

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The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

An El Niño with over 80% odds of hitting is a massive warning sign that climate change is accelerating. With a 97% chance of lasting until next spring, the consequences for global weather patterns and warming could be devastating. Dismissing this as routine ignores the scale of what's coming.

Geoffrey Lean on X

Climate-skeptic narrative

No climate model has reliably predicted specific regional weather patterns using emissions data, so calling every wildfire a climate crisis is a stretch. Weather has always been chaotic and variable long before carbon became a political talking point. Until the models actually prove predictive accuracy, the alarmism deserves serious skepticism.

Steve Milloy on X