British man who perished in Spanish wildfires after going back to rescue cats made final heartbreaking call to wife as flames surrounded car – as authorities to identify at least 12 people

It was revealed that a British man, who was trying to escape the deadly fires that ravaged Spain at the weekend, sadly died while talking on the phone with his wife.

At least 12 people have died so far in the fire in southern Spain and hundreds have had to evacuate the area.

Penelope Howe, originally from Wolverhampton, told The Times that her friend’s husband sadly died during this evacuation.

Howe, 54, who lives near Bedar, said: ‘He is in deep shock. At one point he had to stop and spoke to her on the phone.

‘He had taken the cats and they were trapped in the car. They had been talking together for the last few minutes. “This is how it ended.”

Authorities believe most of those killed in the fire were British and Belgian citizens. 23 people are currently believed to be missing, meaning the death toll could rise further.

Spanish authorities said they had obtained genetic material from 12 people confirmed dead, but it was not yet possible to identify any of the victims because their relatives had traveled to the country with comparison samples.

Authorities claim the deaths were caused by the victims ignoring official advice to shelter in place.

Flames and smoke rise from a forest fire as evacuation and firefighting efforts continue in the Los Gallardos region of Almeria, Spain, on July 10, 2026.

As evacuation and firefighting efforts continue in the Los Gallardos area of ​​Almeria, Spain, on July 10, 2026, a firefighting helicopter releases its water load onto dense smoke to control a large forest fire during emergency operations.

But the son of a Belgian man who died in the fire disputes this, saying emergency services gave them no guidance.

Belgian virologist ‌Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt told Reuters on Saturday that he spoke by phone to his father, 63-year-old businessman Stanislas Verdonckt, just before 9pm local time on Thursday evening as the fire moved through the mountain village of Bedar in Spain’s southeastern Almeria province.

Stanislas Verdonckt, 33, was one of eight victims found dead in a wind-driven forest fire in a valley below the Paraje el Curato area where he lived on the outskirts of Bedar, his son said. Verdonckt, who lives in Belgium, went to Spain after the fire and met with her surviving neighbors.

Verdonckt said no officials told the group that the fire was approaching or that it would be safer to stay home rather than flee.

‘The people who died did not neglect to carry out any orders because they were not given any orders. “No information was given,” he said.

‘They started running when the flames were almost upon them. This was their absolute last resort.’

Local authorities and police are going door to door or calling residents with instructions on how to safely evacuate or take shelter, depending on how the fast-moving fire is progressing in their area, officials said.

Bedar mayor Angel Collado said that he appealed to the group, including Stanislas Verdonckt, to take shelter in the area.

As evacuation and firefighting efforts continue in the Los Gallardos area of ​​Almeria, Spain, on July 10, 2026, a fire wall sweeps across a dry hillside during a large forest fire, creating dense smoke

Burnt trees and ashes are seen with houses in the background after a forest fire that killed at least 12 people near Bedar in the Los Gallardos region of Almeria Province on July 11, 2026.

Burned cars remain in Almocaizar after the deadly Los Gallardos forest fire in Almeria, Spain, on July 12, 2026

The Andalusian regional government, which oversees emergency services and local government, and the Spanish Civil Guard police involved in the rescue effort did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Verdonckt’s account.

The head of the Andalusian regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno, said today that the forest fire had now stabilized.

‘Good news. After a very difficult few days, firefighters declared that the fire in the municipality of Los Gallardos has stabilized, X said, adding that approximately 1,000 evacuated people will be allowed to return to their homes.

The area burned remained at approximately 6,600 hectares (16,300 acres) after the fire failed to advance further on Saturday.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to visit the devastated area on Monday.

While the fast-moving fire ravaged the region at speeds of up to 100 meters (330 feet) per minute, there are still burnt vehicles on some roads where people were stranded.

Authorities kept the death toll at 12 and warned that the number of missing persons would remain uncertain until autopsies and identification of the bodies found were completed.

Authorities said many of the victims may have been foreign nationals.

Vegetation burned after the deadly Los Gallardos forest fire broke out near the municipality of Alfaix in Almeria, Spain, on July 12, 2026.

Following a forest fire that killed at least 12 people near Bedar in the Los Gallardos region of Almeria Province on July 11, 2026, flames are seen stretching along the hillside with a house in the foreground.

Burnt remains of a building in Almocaizar following the deadly Los Gallardos wildfire in Almeria, Spain, on July 12, 2026

The identification process has been slowed down because it is difficult to collect DNA samples from relatives due to family members traveling from other countries.

Despite the improved conditions, Civil Guard police planned to conduct a new search in the affected area on Sunday to ensure no victims were left missing.

“The Civil Guard has entered more than 250 houses to confirm that no one else is inside and will now conduct a final sweep of the area to make sure there is no one else left,” Virginia Barcones, secretary general of the Civil Protection, told Spain’s public broadcaster on Sunday.