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Daughter Demands Answers on Spanish Wildfire Deaths
31 Jul
Summary
- British couple died fleeing wildfire in Spain's Almería
- Evacuation order issued hours after initial fire alert
- Daughter seeks UK government help for Spanish investigation
A British woman is seeking answers regarding the late evacuation order that led to her parents' deaths in a Spanish wildfire. Pete and Fran Gillam, residents of Bédar in Almería, died in mid-July while trying to escape a rapidly spreading wildfire that devastated the village.
Danielle Kirton, their daughter, highlights a critical delay: a fire alert was issued at 4:30 PM, but the evacuation order did not come until over three hours later. This order was reportedly delivered by a single police officer going door-to-door, and Spain's official mobile emergency alert system was not utilized.
Kirton refutes claims that victims ignored instructions, stating her parents heeded advice until the late evacuation order. She has criticized the UK Foreign Office's response as inadequate and is appealing to Ed Miliband, who has been discussing wildfires with political leaders, to assist in urging Spanish authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation. Scientists attribute the severity of fires to the climate crisis, underscoring the need to learn lessons from such tragic events to prevent future fatalities.
