British Couple Pete and Fran Gillam Confirmed Dead in Spain's Deadliest Wildfire

Pete and Fran Gillam, a British couple who had moved to the village of Bédar in Spain's Almería province in search of a tranquil retirement, have been confirmed among the thirteen people killed in the devastating Los Gallardos wildfire — recorded as the deadliest wildfire in Andalusia's history and the third deadliest in Spain.

Tragedy Confirmed by Family

Their daughter, Danielle Gillam-Kirton, announced the loss on social media, writing: "We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire." She had last heard from her mother around 7pm on the evening the fire broke out — a text message saying the couple were trying to evacuate. After that, silence.

The couple, described by family as grandparents who had found happiness in their adopted Andalusian home, are among the victims whose identities were publicly confirmed by Spanish authorities on Monday.

Spain's Deadliest Modern Wildfire

The Los Gallardos fire ignited on July 9, 2026, near the town of Los Gallardos in Almería Province, Andalusia, under conditions that saw European heatwaves push temperatures to extreme levels. Fanned by strong winds, the blaze spread with terrifying speed through the dry scrubland and hillside properties of the area, scorching approximately 7,000 hectares before firefighting operations — involving more than 400 firefighters, military units and emergency crews — managed to stabilise it several days later.

Thirteen people were killed, nine others were injured, and more than twenty remained missing for days after the fire broke out. The official cause has not yet been confirmed, though witnesses reported that a downed power line may have ignited the initial blaze in a wooded area.

Hundreds of Residents Displaced

Thousands of people were forced to evacuate from the surrounding villages, including Bédar — where the Gillams lived. The town of Los Gallardos itself and several other communities suffered significant damage to residential property and local infrastructure. The scale of the human and environmental damage has prompted Spain to launch a full national investigation into how the fire spread so quickly and whether sufficient resources were in place to contain it.

For the British expatriate community living across Spain, the loss of Pete and Fran Gillam has been deeply felt. The couple are among a significant number of UK nationals who have made their permanent home in Andalusia, drawn by the climate and quality of life — but increasingly exposed to the region's worsening wildfire seasons driven by climate change.