A Belgian businessman and passionate nature photographer who spent years exploring the mountains of Almeria has been identified as one of the 13 victims of last week’s catastrophic wildfire.

Stanislas Verdonckt, 63, had long regarded the village of Bedar as his sanctuary, returning regularly to his second home in the hamlet of El Curato to enjoy hiking and photograph the region’s rugged landscapes.

The same mountains that inspired many of his photographs ultimately became the setting for his tragic death in what is now Spain’s deadliest wildfire disaster.

Although Verdonckt built his professional career in Belgium, friends told local newspaper Diario de Almeria he developed a deep connection with the province over the years.

Under the name Stanislas B.S. Verdonckt, he shared photographs of mountains, forests and natural landscapes from around the world on his personal website.

However, many of his favourite images were captured in the countryside surrounding Bedar, where he spent much of his free time walking the area’s trails.

Those who knew him describe him as a quiet man with a profound love of nature and the outdoors.

His son, Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, has since spoken publicly about his father’s final hours.

In comments to Reuters, he said neither his father nor the group of people with whom he was staying received any official instruction to remain inside the property or any evacuation order before they decided to flee.

According to his account, the group first attempted to escape by car as the flames approached. However, roads quickly became impassable, forcing them to abandon their vehicles and continue on foot.

‘The people who died did not disobey any order because they never received one,’ Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt told Reuters.

He said the decision to leave was made only after it became clear that remaining at the property was no longer safe as the wildfire rapidly closed in.

Many residents were left furious by claims made by the government that some of the deaths had been caused by people ignoring evacuation orders.

One British expat told the Spanish Eye how he was never once communicated to by the authorities, despite the blaze coming within 150 metres of his home.

Questions are now being raised about how residents in future fires should be alerted to the danger.

Juanma Moreno, Andalucia’s president, said an SMS alert, similar to those used for floods, was not sent because it would have caused confusion.

The conservative leader said the advice of whether to stay put or flee was different for each village, making a blanket warning too complicated.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.