Son of Belgian wildfire victim disputes Spanish officials' account of warnings

LOS GALLARDOS, Spain, July 12 (Reuters) - The son of a Belgian man who perished in Spanish wildfires disputed authorities' claims that his father and other victims ignored official advice to shelter in place, saying the emergency services gave them no guidance.

Belgian virologist Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt told Reuters on Saturday that he spoke to his father, 63-year-old businessman Stanislas Verdonckt, by phone just before 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday evening as the fire advanced on the mountain village of Bedar in Spain's southeastern Almeria province.

Stanislas Verdonckt was among eight victims of the wind-whipped wildfire found dead in a valley below the Paraje el Curato area where he lived on the outskirts of Bedar, according to his 33-year-old son. Verdonckt, who lives in Belgium, traveled to Spain after the fire and spoke with surviving neighbors.

No officials told the group that the fire was heading their way or that it would be safer for them to stay at home than flee, Verdonckt said.

"The people who died did not fail to follow any orders because no orders were given. No information was provided," he said.

"They only started to run when the flames were almost upon them. That was their absolute last resort."

Authorities have said local officials and police went door-to-door or telephoned residents with instructions on how to evacuate safely or to shelter in place, depending on how the fast-moving fire was advancing in their area.

Bedar Mayor Angel Collado said he urged the group including Stanislas Verdonckt to shelter in place.

The Andalusian regional government, which oversees emergency services and local administration, and the Spanish Civil Guard police, which was involved in rescue efforts, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Verdonckt's account.

In total, 12 people — mainly foreigners like Stanislas Verdonckt and one Spaniard — died trying to escape the wildfires as they reached Bedar, which is above the town of Los Gallardos. Their identities have not been officially confirmed, and firefighters are still struggling to contain the blazes.

CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE FLAMES

A group of neighbors including his father first tried to drive away on Thursday night by a paved road, but they were beaten back by flames, Verdonckt said.

"They couldn't get through via the main road because they were not warned in advance. Nobody told them that the fire was coming from that direction, and when they tried to get out, it was too late," he said.

The group then tried to flee by car in the other direction on the neighbors' dead-end dirt lane, which hugs a mountainside. But they could not make it out, abandoned their cars and sought to escape on foot, he said.

"It was not a choice. They drove to the end of the trail, and when even that was in flames, some people chose to run and try to get into the valley," he said.

A neighbor who survived in his home told Verdonckt that the flames approached close enough to the house to touch, he said.

Verdonckt said his father, a keen hiker and photographer, had a home in the area for many years, knew the terrain well and spoke Spanish.

During their final phone conversation, Verdonckt said his father debated the options to protect himself.

Stanislas Verdonckt was always calm "even in the most desperate situations" and went over his "plan A, B and C", Verdonckt said.

"My father is one of the smartest people I know. He's always very analytical and was just checking boxes: 'Can we do this? Can we do that?'," he said. "At that point, it was just minutes before they were engulfed and they were trapped."

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)