Burnt out cars and scorched trees in the aftermath of the Los Gallardos fire in Almería, July 9, 2026 RTVEThe July 9 wildfire in Los Gallardos – in Almería, eastern Andalusia – was a tragedy with a huge human and social impact. Beyond the provisional figures of dead, missing and injured and the specific circumstances – which are yet to be confirmed by an official investigation – the fire raises a broader question: are we still using the right indicators to measure the severity of forest fires?Traditionally, fire seasons have been assessed mainly on the number of fires recorded, the area burnt, and the fire service’s ability to control the flames. These indicators are still essential, but they are not enough when fires reach inhabited areas and directly endanger the population.Against a backdrop of climate change and land-use pressures, the main aim of emergency management is no longer to simply extinguish the fire by deploying technical resources. It must also ensure that there are no fatalities.Land vs human costOfficial data from INFOCA, the Andalusian Regional Government’s forest fire prevention programme, show that the region has been actively managing fires over the last five years. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of forestry operations ranged from 613 to 876 per year, with no clear upward trend. Similarly, the percentage of fires contained at an early stage remained high, ranging from 75.5% to 82%. This means that roughly four out of every five fires were brought under control before they spread beyond one hectare.However, the size of the fires varied much more widely. While in 2023 just 1,827 hectares were burnt, in 2022 the figure exceeded 15,500. Several large forest fires accounted for most this difference. This behaviour highlights a widely observed feature of Mediterranean wildfires: risk does not stem from a steady increase in the number of individual fires, but from a few extreme ones that cause a large proportion of the season’s environmental, economic and social damage. We have also identified this trend in our research into forest fire behaviour in Gran Canaria.The fire in Los Gallardos should therefore not automatically be chalked up to a lack of firefighting resources. The official investigation will clarify how the fire developed and what factors influenced its progression, but what we can say for certain is that these large-scale fires are becoming increasingly complex. This means that firefighting capacity alone is not enough. We also need to pay greater attention to each area’s vulnerability, evacuation planning, and risk awareness in order to protect the population. Leer más: Climate change: how fires and floods are creating uninsurable areas across Europe Landscape shapes the fire’s spreadIn Los Gallardos, the landscape is made up of natural vegetation, scrubland, agricultural plots, country lanes, housing estates and isolated homes. The fire did not just tear through a forested area – it was able to spread directly into the places where people live. In geography, areas that combine homes, roads, gardens, crops and woodland are known as wildland-urban interface. In these areas, managing an emergency is not just a matter of putting out the flames. It also involves locating people spread across a vast area, getting clear instructions to them, and organising evacuations via a road network that may be limited, unfamiliar or could be quickly cut off.Scattered residential areas make things even harder. Evacuating a compact urban centre is not the same as protecting isolated homes linked by small roads, country lanes or private access roads.Rethinking alert systemsRisk communication plays a crucial role here. Alert systems allow us to send a warning to thousands of people in a matter of seconds. But receiving an alert does not guarantee that the public will take the safest course of action. This is consistent with the findings of our research into ES-Alert, the system for alerting the public to serious emergencies (such as fires or floods) in Spain. Our study showed that, while the system was widely accepted by the public, a significant number of people felt that the messages could be clearer, and said that their response would depend on the type of emergency. This shows that an alert’s effectiveness does not depend solely on who it reaches, but also on how it is understood by those who receive it.The challenge is even greater in areas where the local population, foreign residents, tourists and people unfamiliar with the road network or civil protection procedures all live side by side. Messages must be simple, actionable, consistent and, where necessary, sent in different languages.Same warning, different responsesBefore taking action, people ask themselves all manner of questions, even if only subconsciously: Is the danger really serious? Does it affect me? Do I have time to leave? Is it safer to stay? Can I leave my home? Which way should I go? These decisions are made under immense pressure, with incomplete information and very little time.Our group’s research – which was presented at this year’s International Congress on Risks in Portugal – has also addressed this issue. These studies focus on the relationship between the perception of danger, the interpretation of official information, and the adoption of self-protection behaviours.An alert’s effectiveness cannot be assessed solely by checking whether the message was sent and received. We must also see whether it was understood, whether it inspired confidence, and how long it took for the public to take action.Preparing the populationCommunication during an emergency is essential, but it begins long before a fire breaks out. The public must be aware in advance of the risks in the area, evacuation routes, and basic self-protection measures.This means mapping out scattered dwellings, planning evacuations, carrying out drills, identifying particularly vulnerable people, and tailoring messages to different social and cultural profiles.Forest fires will continue, meaning we need ongoing investment in prevention, land management and firefighting resources. But we also need to pay more attention to human behaviour. For now, we are still awaiting the official investigation into what went wrong in Los Gallardos, and it would be irresponsible to predict the outcome or assign blame. However, the tragedy is already a reminder of a fundamental lesson: a fire’s impact is not measured solely by the number of hectares it burns, but also by the people it puts in danger, and by the system’s ability to help them make safe decisions. A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!Fernando Medina Morales no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoría, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y ha declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado.