A Place In The Sun guest presumed dead in Spanish wildfire after house they bought on TV show went up in flames
Malcolm Timbrell and Annette Kilgore's home in Bedar was engulfed by flames on Thursday evening, as wildfires razed Almería in southern Spain.
The host of A Place in the Sun has paid tribute after a guest on the programme was presumed dead in the devastating wildfires sweeping southern Spain.
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Malcolm Timbrell and Annette Kilgore’s home in Bédar, Almería, was engulfed by flames on Thursday evening as fast-moving wildfires tore through the region.
The couple had appeared on Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun in 2023, where they found the hilltop property that would become their home.
On Tuesday, Mr Timbrell said he feared his wife, Annette Kilgore, 69, and a group of friends had died after they became separated while trying to escape the blaze.
The 70-year-old became separated from his wife Annette, 69, and the rest of their group as they attempted to flee by car, but he turned back to rescue their two cats before trying to catch up with them.
Read more: Seven Brits among 13 killed in deadly southern Spain wildfires
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By the time he did, they had abandoned their vehicles and attempted to escape the flames on foot.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “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.
“I’ve subsequently heard that that firewall was moving at 20 kilometres per hour, plus. They had no chance.”
Mr Timbrell survived by sheltering inside an abandoned car with one of the cats. It is unclear what happened to the second cat.
Presenter Jasmine Harman, who has hosted the programme since 2004, shared her condolences on Instagram after hearing the news.
She wrote: “Some awful news. You may have seen on the news that Spain has been experiencing some terrible wildfires, and I was so sad to hear of the tragic deaths of several people in Bédar.
“Sending deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones, especially to Malcolm, who previously appeared with his wife Annette on A Place in the Sun.
“I don’t really have the words to say how very sorry I am for your loss Malcolm. I know we have never met. I can’t imagine what you are going through right now. Sending thoughts and prayers.”
The couple had moved to the picturesque Andalucían village from Cornwall after finding their ideal property on the programme, securing the traditional stone cottage on a mountainside for £200,000.
It comes after authorities confirmed that seven British nationals were among the 13 people killed in the wildfires that ripped through southern Spain.
Spanish officials said 12 of the 13 victims were foreign nationals, following post-mortem examinations completed on Tuesday, according to local media and Agence France-Presse.
The fire swept through Almería province on Thursday and is one of the deadliest wildfires Spain has seen in recent years.
Earlier, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was “supporting British nationals affected and their families and remain in close contact with the Spanish authorities”.
Among the British victims were Pete and Fran Gillam, who also lived in Bédar, the village worst affected by the fire.
Their daughter, Danielle Gillam-Kirton, from Sheffield, wrote on Facebook that the family were “heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire”.
Almost 1,500 people were evacuated from Almería province as firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.
The fire has now been contained after burning through around 7,000 hectares of land.
Spain has faced increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures often rising above 40C.