By Sohaib Shams
Nine British nationals were among 15 people killed when a wildfire tore through the hillside village of Bédar in Almería, south-eastern Spain, on 9 July. Relatives of the victims have told the BBC they are disgusted after regional politicians blocked an official inquiry into the disaster.
Authorities block inquiry
The governing People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox in the Andalusian parliament rejected a request for a commission of inquiry submitted by the opposition Socialist party. The PP and Vox argued that an ongoing criminal investigation would provide the necessary answers. Families insist a public and transparent probe is essential.
Failures in emergency response
Families criticise the decision not to send an emergency alert to mobile phones as the flames closed in. Duncan Chard, who lost his father Michael and his father's partner Christine, said an evacuation warning would have saved lives. Andalusia's emergencies chief, Antonio Sanz, said the alert system could not be tailored to specific communities and might have caused panic. Survivors, including Belgian virologist Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, said victims received no adequate warning before the fire engulfed them.
Concerns over handling of remains
Relatives say their grief has been compounded by the treatment of their loved ones' remains and belongings. Danni Gillam-Kirton, who lost her parents Pete and Fran, said she found apparent human bones and personal items in their burnt-out car a month after the fire, despite police stating the vehicle had been meticulously searched and no belongings survived. Police later said the fragments were animal bones with no DNA recovered, but a forensic anthropologist consulted by the family believes they are human.
Fundraising for legal action
Families in the UK, Belgium and Spain have launched an appeal to raise €100,000 for legal action, with about €11,000 collected so far. They say they want answers and lessons learned to prevent future tragedies. The cause of the fire, known as the Los Gallardos fire, remains under criminal investigation, with a fallen power line initially suspected.
