Pete and Fran Gillam, British residents of Bédar in Almería, died in mid-July while attempting to flee their home during wildfires that have swept across Spain and France since early July. The fires have resulted in 13 deaths in the couple’s village and forced over 300,000 people to evacuate across the affected regions, destroying thousands of homes.
Their daughter, Danielle Kirton, has challenged assertions from Spanish officials that those who died ignored evacuation instructions. She contends that her parents received no official evacuation order until more than three hours after a fire alert was issued at 4:30pm. The evacuation instruction came via a lone police officer conducting house-to-house notifications rather than through Spain’s official emergency alert system, which sends loud notifications to mobile phones. Video evidence from 6:45pm showed the fire at considerable distance from the family’s location, indicating they were not immediately aware of the danger.
Kirton states that her parents followed instructions to shelter in place and attempted to evacuate via the only available route when finally told to do so. They became trapped when the fire jumped to both sides of the road while they paused briefly at a neighbor’s driveway. She argues that subsequent wildfires in Spain have resulted in no civilian casualties, with the primary difference being the activation of the official emergency alert system in those incidents.
Kirton has criticized both the Spanish government’s response and assistance from the UK Foreign Office. She has called upon Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to pressure Spanish authorities for a comprehensive investigation into the evacuation procedures and response failures. A Foreign Office spokesperson indicated that the investigation responsibility falls to Spanish authorities, though diplomatic contact continues regarding support for British nationals and lessons to be learned as climate change increases wildfire risks.
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