THE residents of an Andalucian town devastated by a deadly wildfire have set up a task force to investigate the blaze and ensure that ‘tragedies like these never happen again’.
The seven-strong group in Bedar, Almeria, made up of both expats and Spaniards, has vowed to bring in experts to identify ‘more effective’ warning systems and improve the village’s firefighting plans.
Named the ‘Bedar Fire Working Group’ (BFWG), the association was formed after 13 people died in the village during the devastating wildfire earlier this month.
READ MORE: Seven Britons and one US national among 13 dead after devastating Almeria wildfire
The deaths sparked criticism over the way Andalucian authorities handled the crisis, with some residents questioning the decision not to send out mobile phone alerts and instead rely on phone calls and door-to-door warnings.
However, the BFWG said it was ‘not trying to blame anyone’ and wanted to ‘focus on solutions’ instead.
Spokesperson and Bedar resident Celeste Picken, originally from the Netherlands, told The Olive Press: “Our goal is all about prevention – we want to stop tragedies like these from ever happening again.
“We’re not looking back, and we’re not trying to blame anyone.
“But this was the third time Bedar has been evacuated because of wildfires in recent years – and this time people died.
“We don’t want there to be another tragedy next year.”
BFWG members include a fire expert, an experienced town planner and several lawyers, Picken said.
The group will examine how the emergency was handled and explore whether more effective warning systems could be introduced in the future.
The Almeria wildfire broke out on July 9, scorching 7,000 hectares of countryside around Los Gallardos and Bedar in less than five days.
It spread at around 128 metres per minute – roughly five times faster than the average wildfire.
“It was an extraordinarily difficult fire to fight,” Picken said. “Because it moved so quickly, it was obviously very difficult to coordinate the emergency response.
“But that’s exactly why a group like ours is needed,” she added.
The Utrecht-born expat said some Bedar residents were alerted by authorities over the phone, while others were warned in person by emergency crews.
She recalled the case of one local who attempted to drive away from the flames but was forced to turn back after her car caught fire.
She was then rescued from her home by a firefighter and a local police officer, named Raul and Diego.
“Raul and Diego really went above and beyond for us. We are so grateful,” Picken said.
Picken added she did not know whether every resident had been directly alerted by authorities, and said some people apparently found out about the fire through neighbours.
The BFWG said the local community has responded positively to its mission and expects the group to continue growing in the coming days.
“Hopefully more people will join us and help make Bedar safer,” Picken said.
Earlier this week, families of those killed in the wildfire launched a separate appeal for witnesses as they seek answers about the emergency response and whether residents received adequate warnings before the flames reached Bedar.
The campaign was launched by Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt, a Belgian national whose father, Stanislas, was among those killed.
Some residents have claimed they were not given official evacuation instructions and only fled after seeing the flames approaching, while others have questioned why Spain’s ES-Alert mobile phone warning system was not activated.
Authorities have defended their response, saying evacuations were carried out during an exceptionally fast-moving wildfire in extreme weather conditions.
They added that sending out a phone alert across Bedar could have caused confusion, as different areas required different evacuation instructions depending on residents’ locations.
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