Spanish wildfire victims burned in cars while trying to flee

Police inspect the charred landscape around Los Gallardos in southern Spain on Friday. As a wildfire tore across the mountains, at least a dozen people were killed after going against the advice of local mayors and police, who went door to door, asking them to stay put. Instead, they opted to flee by car from Badar, a village that mostly escaped the flames, and drove right into them. Regional disaster chief Antonio Sanz said four people died in one vehicle. He said most of those killed were likely members of foreign nationals that live in the area, including Britons and Belgians. Those who died had also not followed the indicated route. Sanz said they had taken another way out, via a dry riverbed, which turned out to be a trap. He said the fire may have originated from a power line, which was then fanned by strong winds and spread at extraordinary speed. Andalusia's regional leader, Juanma Moreno, called the conditions a ticking time bomb. It's going to be a very difficult summer, not only in Andalusia, but throughout Spain and, sadly, in Europe too. But in Spain, and in Andalusia in particular, due to the heavy rainfall we've had this winter, which has led to the spring growth of scrubland and undergrowth, which, with the heat waves, has dried out and become the perfect fuel for fires. So we've still got a long summer ahead of us. Let's all be extra careful. Moreno pleaded with residents to follow local recommendations. Air tankers could be seen dropping water while battling the fierce blaze on Friday. A resident of Los Gallardos watched on as the land he attended for decades went up in flames. It rips your soul out. This is what you're left with. I worked there. This is my son. I raised him there, where the fire is. I had 600 orange trees.