A British man has recounted his harrowing survival of a deadly wildfire in Spain's Almeria province, which claimed the lives of his wife and 12 friends and neighbours last Thursday. Malcolm Timbrell, 70, described how he became separated from his wife Annette Kilgore, 69, and their companions as flames engulfed their village of Bédar.

The wildfire, one of the deadliest in Spanish history, spread with alarming speed, forcing the group to make a rapid decision to flee their homes. Mr. Timbrell and his wife, who had appeared on the television programme 'A Place in the Sun' after finding their property, initially decided to escape by car. However, Mr. Timbrell made the fateful decision to return to their burning house to rescue their two cats.

"If we'd have done the sensible thing and gone the other way and let our cats die, we both would be alive," Mr. Timbrell told the BBC, speaking outside his destroyed home. "But when you've got animals, you don't think like that." Once the cats were secured, he attempted to rejoin the others but witnessed them exiting their vehicles.

"My wife and our other seven friends and neighbours - against me screaming at them not to - decided the only safe way was to walk out in front of the firewall," he explained. He later learned the fire wall was advancing at over 20 kilometres per hour, giving them "no chance."

Finding himself alone, Mr. Timbrell sought refuge in abandoned cars. Four of the six vehicles he encountered instantly combusted. He retreated to the last two, which, though severely damaged, survived the inferno, allowing him to escape with one of the cats. "For some reason of fate, the last two cars... survived. And I survived inside the last one with a cat."

Emergency workers eventually rescued Mr. Timbrell after the flames had passed. Tragically, the bodies of eight people were later discovered on a path leading away from the couple's property. Four additional victims, believed to be British and found in a right-hand drive vehicle, were also recovered, bringing the confirmed death toll to 13. Not all victims have been identified.

The loss has devastated the survivor, who described his partner of 17 years as "such a happy, outgoing person." He added, "We have had an amazing life together - and now it's stopped."

The wildfire's rapid spread, fueled by strong winds, has left the landscape around Bédar completely charred, highlighting the devastating power of the blaze and the difficult choices faced by those caught in its path.