A British resident claims he had no contact from the authorities about the fast-moving Almeria wildfire despite it coming within 150 metres of his home in Bedar.
The 64-year-old, who asked not to be named, told the Spanish Eye he received no official communication whatsoever, despite the fire burning dangerously close to his property in El Pinar de Bedar.
Photos and videos he shared with this newspaper show walls of flames coming incredibly close to his house in the hills.
‘I can only speak for myself,’ he said. ‘I had no warnings whatsoever and still haven’t had any official communication from any authorities.’
He claimed he believes he was the only resident still at El Pinar de Bedar, adding that there ‘may have been a couple’ of people remaining in Bedar village itself.
The Brit was particularly critical of comments made by Andalucia’s regional government in the aftermath of the disaster.
‘Vox and the PP are trying to blame the ‘immigrants’,’ he said.
‘People have lost their lives due to their incompetence.’
His comments come after Junta president Juanma Moreno insisted residents had received repeated evacuation warnings, saying emergency services had gone ‘house by house’ urging people to either leave or stay put.
‘Months ago I was woken for an earthquake alert’
The expat said he remained at home throughout the emergency and was never contacted.
‘Yes, I am still here – no warning, nothing,’ he said, ‘to be fair, it was safer to stay put.
‘But I don’t understand how, months ago, I get woken at some unearthly hour to warn me of an earthquake in Almería that could not and would not have had any effect on my safety, yet when there is a fire burning out of control on the other side of the valley… nothing!’
He said the wildfire came frighteningly close to his property.
‘The fire was about 150 metres away at its closest.’
Despite the danger, he said the flames never actually reached his home.
‘The fire is not in my location anymore, although the amount of planes and helicopters today has been akin to living next to Heathrow,’ he added.
Authorities face growing scrutiny
The claims add to mounting questions over whether some residents received adequate warning before the fast-moving wildfire swept across eastern Almeria.
The blaze has killed 12 people, injured several others and forced the evacuation of more than 1,400 residents, while Guardia Civil officers continue searching affected areas for anyone still unaccounted for.
The Junta has defended the emergency response, maintaining that evacuation orders were issued through multiple channels and that emergency personnel carried out door-to-door warnings in communities threatened by the fire.
However, the British resident insists that, in his case, no such warning ever arrived.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
