Pedro Sanchez will visit the scene of the devastating Los Gallardos wildfire on Monday, it has been confirmed.

It comes after authorities stabilised the blaze that has claimed 12 lives and scorched around 6,600 hectares of land.

As a result of the visit, the prime minister has postponed a planned appearance in La Linea de la Concepcion in Cadiz.

He had been due to attend a symbolic event marking the dismantling of the Gibraltar border fence ahead of the new post-Brexit border arrangements.

That event has now been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 15.

Fire ‘advanced at 100 metres per minute’

Sanchez’s visit follows a trip on Saturday by Presidency Minister Felix Bolaños to the advanced command centre in Turre, where he was briefed by emergency services coordinating the firefighting operation.

Speaking afterwards, Bolaños said weather conditions were expected to become more favourable, with improved temperatures, humidity and lighter winds giving a better chance of bringing the blaze under control.

He also underlined the unprecedented speed at which the wildfire spread.

‘Experts estimate the fire advanced at 100 metres per minute,’ Bolaños said, describing it as a level of severity ‘never seen before’.

He attributed the extreme behaviour of the fire to what he called the ‘climate emergency affecting the world.’

Bolaños was accompanied by Virginia Barcones, Secretary General for Civil Protection and Emergencies at Spain’s Interior Ministry.

Sanchez is expected to meet emergency personnel and local authorities during Monday’s visit as search, recovery and firefighting operations continue.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.