European heatwave death toll may exceed 20,000 as UK endures third heatwave and media criticism mounts over climate silence

A fast-moving wildfire in Spain's Almería region has killed at least 13 people, with Britons among the dead and missing.

At least 13 people have died in a wildfire tearing through the Almería region of southern Spain, making it one of the deadliest blazes in the country's recorded history. At least four British nationals are believed to be among those who perished as they attempted to flee the fast-spreading fire, with 10 people still reported missing following the crisis. A British couple were found burned and semi-conscious in the Almería area and had to be airlifted to hospital following a two-hour rescue operation by the Guardia Civil. Another British woman, 74-year-old Jeanne Henny, described a harrowing escape with a friend, a wheelchair, and two dogs as fire surged onto the road ahead of her. The wildfire crisis has now spread to France, where a blaze tore through the historic Fontainebleau forest south of Paris, forcing residential evacuations, highway closures, and the deployment of water-bombing aircraft. Fontainebleau is one of France's most visited forests and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The human cost of the broader European heatwave is growing significantly. While earlier estimates put excess deaths across Europe at over 10,000, new figures suggest June's continent-wide death toll could surpass 20,000. In England and Wales alone, approximately 2,700 people are estimated to have died from heat-related causes during the exceptionally hot May and June, with extreme heat leading to around 440 deaths per day during the June peak, according to scientists. Western Europe recorded its hottest-ever June, with temperatures running about 3°C above average. The UK is now sweltering through its third heatwave of the year, with authorities expanding heat alerts and warning of 'exceptional' wildfire risk in some areas. Parts of the country are entering a second consecutive week of temperatures above the official heatwave threshold. A new media analysis of nearly 2,500 UK news articles about the June heatwave found that almost three-quarters made no reference to the climate crisis, raising concerns about whether the public is receiving adequate context about the role of global heating in driving extreme weather events. Germany separately recorded nearly 100 drowning deaths during the June heatwave — the worst such toll in more than 20 years — as people sought relief in lakes and rivers. Spain, Portugal, and Greece are all battling blazes simultaneously, with conditions described as a 'powder keg.' Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate, and health experts have warned about the dangers of black carbon fine particles produced by burning, which can cause serious long-term respiratory and cardiovascular harm well beyond the immediate fire zones.

Why it matters

The Almería wildfire is among the deadliest in Spanish history and reflects a pattern of increasingly severe fire conditions across southern Europe linked to prolonged heatwaves. The death toll, which includes foreign nationals, and the scale of evacuations signal growing human costs from climate-driven extreme weather.

What's next

Search operations for the 23 people reported missing are ongoing, and authorities continue to monitor fire conditions across southern Europe as the heatwave persists.

Key facts

• At least 13 people have died in the Almería wildfire, one of Spain's deadliest ever
• At least four British nationals are believed to be among those who died fleeing the blaze
• 23 people were reported missing at the height of the crisis
• A British couple were found burned and semi-conscious and airlifted to hospital after a two-hour Guardia Civil rescue
• Fires are burning simultaneously in Spain, Portugal, and Greece during the same heatwave period
• Rural depopulation across Spain has left large areas of unmanaged dry vegetation, worsening fire risk

Bias & framing notes

The two Australian outlets (PerthNow and The West) ran identical brief reports focused solely on the death toll with no additional detail. The Guardian provided substantially more depth across multiple articles, including survivor testimony, expert analysis, and specific incidents involving British nationals — giving the British angle notably prominent treatment, likely reflecting the outlet's domestic audience. The death toll shifted between sources, with one Guardian article citing 12 dead and others reporting 13, suggesting the reporting spanned different points in the developing story.

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