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Wildfire Victims' Son Disputes Official Advice
12 Jul
Summary
- Victim's son claims no evacuation or shelter orders were given.
- Families fled only when flames were imminent, son stated.
- Authorities claim door-to-door warnings were issued.
The son of a Belgian man who perished in recent Spanish wildfires has challenged official accounts, asserting that his father and other victims were not given evacuation or shelter-in-place instructions.
Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt stated that his father, Stanislas Verdonckt, spoke to him shortly before the fire reached their village. He claims the group attempted to escape by car but were forced back by flames, as they had not been warned of the fire's approach.
Neighbors who survived told Verdonckt that the flames came perilously close to their homes. The group then abandoned their vehicles and sought refuge on foot in a valley, with his father among the eight found dead in that area.
Authorities maintain that emergency services conducted door-to-door checks and made phone calls to inform residents of evacuation routes or shelter advisories based on the fire's progression.
