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Wildfires across Europe have killed hundreds over the last decade
Scientists say climate change is making Europe hotter and drier, increasing the risk of faster, deadlier wildfire seasons.
On Friday, a wildfire in southern Spain killed at least 11 people near Los Gallardos on the Costa de Almería, making it one of the country's deadliest on record as record temperatures gripped the region.
Spain's national weather service AEMET reported temperatures last month reached 12.8 degrees Fahrenheit above average, while climate change is driving hotter, drier weather across Europe that intensifies fire seasons.
Around 150 emergency workers deployed to battle the blaze as Mayor Francisco Reyes described the wind-driven fire's rapid spread as "terrifying," while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro expressed condolences to victims' families.
Andalusia regional leader Juanma Moreno confirmed at least 23 people remain missing, while emergency minister Antonio Sanz reported four victims died in a vehicle and seven perished attempting to flee on foot.
Deadly wildfires have struck across Europe in recent years, including more than 100 deaths in Greece in 2018, 66 in Portugal in 2017, and 10 in Turkey last July, as scientists warn rising temperatures make such tragedies increasingly frequent.
The forest fires raging in Europe have killed hundreds of people over the past decade, and climate change is about to further increase the number of victims in the coming years.