17/07/2026
The Bédar/Los Gallardos Fire: How Families of Foreign Victims Can Join the Spanish Criminal Proceedings
On 9 July 2026, a wildfire broke out near the old N-340A road in Los Gallardos, Almería, and swept into Bédar and the surrounding area of the Levante Almeriense. It became the deadliest wildfire in Andalusia's history, killing 13 people, injuring 18 more, and forcing the evacuation of over 1,400 residents across some 7,000 hectares. Many of those who died or lost homes were foreign residents, including British, Belgian and French nationals, alongside Spanish victims.
Investigators believe the fire started when a cable fell from an old, deteriorated wooden electricity pole and ignited dry vegetation. Whether that cable was live, and who was responsible for maintaining it, is now the central question of a judicial investigation opened at the Juzgado de Instrucción de Vera. This article explains, in general terms, what that investigation means and how bereaved families and injured victims — wherever they live — can take part in it.
What is happening legally right now
Spain does not run a public inquiry separate from the courts in cases like this. Instead, a criminal judge at the Juzgado de Vera has opened "diligencias previas" (preliminary criminal proceedings) to establish how the fire started, whether anyone acted negligently, and who, if anyone, should face criminal responsibility. Guardia Civil technical reports, forensic evidence, and statements from the utility companies involved are all being gathered as part of this file.
This is still an active, unresolved investigation. No one has been formally charged as of this writing, and the facts around liability may change as expert reports are completed. Families should treat news coverage with caution and rely on official updates from the court or their own lawyer.
Why families should consider becoming a party to the case
Under Spanish criminal procedure, a person harmed by a crime — including the relatives of someone who died — is not limited to being a witness. They can formally join the proceedings as a "perjudicado personado" or "acusación particular" (a private prosecutor alongside the public prosecutor). Doing so gives a family real standing in the case: access to the investigation file, the ability to request specific evidence or expert reports, participation in hearings, the right to be informed of every significant step, and — importantly — the ability to claim compensation for the death, injury or loss of property directly within the criminal case itself, without needing a separate civil lawsuit.
For a British, Irish, American, Canadian or Australian family with no experience of the Spanish courts, this route is usually far more efficient than waiting to see what the state prosecutor does, or trying to bring a civil claim afterwards.
Who can join
The right belongs first to the direct victims (those injured or who lost property). Where someone died, Spanish law recognises their spouse or long-term partner, children, and other close relatives in the direct line or up to the third degree of kinship (parents, siblings, grandparents, and so on) as entitled to bring the claim in their own right as "perjudicados."
The practical steps.
Instruct a Spanish lawyer. Spanish court proceedings require legal representation. Foreign families will also usually need a "procurador" — a separate court agent who formally represents you before the judge — which your lawyer will normally arrange on your behalf.
Sign a power of attorney. A "poder para pleitos" authorising your lawyer (and procurador) to act for you can be signed at a Spanish consulate in your home country, or before a local notary and then apostilled, so there is no need to travel to Spain to get this stage moving.
Gather your documents. In practice this means the death certificate, documents proving your family relationship to the deceased (marriage or birth certificates), and identification/passport copies. Everything issued outside Spain should be apostilled and, where not already in Spanish, accompanied by a certified translation.
File the "escrito de personación." Your lawyer submits a formal written application to the Juzgado de Vera asking the court to recognise you as a party to the proceedings. Once accepted, you receive full standing in the case.
Act promptly, but know the proceedings will run for some time. You can, in principle, join at any point up to the start of the actual trial hearing. In practice, joining early matters: it gives you a voice while the investigation is still open, lets your lawyer propose lines of inquiry or request specific expert evidence, and avoids the risk of missing key procedural deadlines. Where part of the file is kept under judicial secrecy while evidence is gathered, access to certain documents may be temporarily restricted even for personada parties — your lawyer will be able to explain the position at any given time.
What compensation may be available
If negligence is ultimately established, compensation ("responsabilidad civil derivada del delito") can be pursued within the criminal case against whoever is found responsible — which, depending on how the investigation concludes, could include the individuals or companies responsible for maintaining the electrical infrastructure involved. Separately, victims of major fires and natural catastrophes in Spain may also have access to compensation through the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, and civil claims against insurers may run in parallel. Every family's position will depend on their own circumstances (nationality, residence status of the deceased, whether property was insured, and so on), so this needs individual advice rather than a general answer.
A note on victims' rights
Under Spain's Victims' Statute (Ley 4/2015), anyone affected by a crime — regardless of nationality or where they live — has the right to be informed of developments in their own language, to interpretation and translation of essential documents, and to be treated with respect throughout the process. Foreign families should not feel that language is a barrier to taking part properly in a Spanish criminal case.
Getting help
This article is general information, not legal advice, and the facts of the Bédar/Los Gallardos investigation are still developing. Davies Abogados has represented English-speaking families — from the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada and Australia — in matters across Spain, including Almería and the surrounding areas, since 1994. If you have lost a family member or property in this fire and want to understand your options for joining the criminal proceedings, we are happy to talk you through the process .
