Daughter of Brit couple killed in Spanish wildfire ‘finds their bones inside burnt-out car they died in after funeral’

A BRIT daughter of a couple who were killed in the Spanish wildfires allegedly found her parents bones in the charred car they died in. Pete and Fran Gillam were killed when a ferocious wildfire ripped through the Brit-expat hotspot in Bédar in Spain’s Almería province. Pete and Fran Gillam were killed when a ferocious wildfire ripped through the Brit-expat hotspot Credit: danni.gillam/ Facebook Their daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton claims she has uncovered multiple bones inside the burned-out vehicle Credit: Facebook/Danielle Gillam-Kirton The couple were among 14 people – including seven British nationals – who died as blistering 40C heat helped fuel a devastating inferno that tore through the countryside and ravaged two towns. But now their daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton claims she has uncovered multiple bones inside the burned-out vehicle – along with keys, jewellery and loose change. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The 42-year-old says Spanish police had previously told her the car was so badly gutted by the flames that virtually nothing remained inside. According to Danielle, officers said the only trace of human remains they recovered was a tiny fragment of bone. That fragment was later cremated at a funeral service this summer. But when Danielle travelled to the wreckage herself, she claims she immediately spotted what appeared to be several bones inside the vehicle. She said the discovery included what she believed was a hip bone – raising a chilling question over what happened to the remains previously handed to the family. Recalling the moment she picked up the suspected bone, Danielle told the Guardian: “I honestly can’t describe what that felt like. Most read in The Sun “I remember staring at what was in my hand, and the slow realisation of what I thought I was looking at hit me. I shouted out in shock.” The grim discovery has now plunged the family into fresh anguish as they question whether the wreckage was properly searched in the first place – and where the remains they cremated came from. The inferno was among the worst wildfires to hit Spain this year Credit: AFP Danielle said the discovery included what she believed was a hip bone Credit: facebook/@spectrum.fm.costa.almeria Burned-out cars used by people who died while trying to escape deadly wildfires affecting Almeria province Credit: Reuters Deadly wildfires ravaged through the Brit expat hotspot Credit: AFP Danielle said the ordeal had compounded the family’s grief and left them asking: “Who or what did we cremate?” The newly discovered bones have since been sent for DNA testing. Danielle claims that came only after repeated pleas to local authorities, who initially dismissed the remains as animal bones. She said subsequent assessments indicated they were human. The family’s nightmare comes amid mounting questions over the handling of the catastrophic blaze and whether more could have been done to protect those caught in its path. Danielle had previously criticised what she claimed was a failure to issue adequate warnings to people in Almería as the inferno raced through the region. She is now calling on the Foreign Office in London to pile pressure on Spanish authorities and demand answers from local police. Families of the 14 victims are also reportedly considering launching a private prosecution against the local government. According to Spanish media, such a move could give the families’ lawyers direct access to judicial files examining how prepared authorities were for a major wildfire of the kind that engulfed Almería. One major flashpoint is the emergency mobile phone alert system, which was never activated during the inferno. Regional officials defended the decision, claiming the blaze moved so rapidly and the technology was too limited when targeting small areas. They argued that sending alerts could have caused confusion and blocked crucial routes needed by emergency crews. Pete and Fran had lived in Bédar, the village at the centre of the fast-moving inferno. The couple had disappeared on the day of the blaze, July 9, with their last contact coming in a text message to Danielle at around 7pm. Fran had messaged her daughter to say that she and Pete were evacuating. But contact was then severed and subsequent calls failed to connect. Police later confirmed the devastating news that the couple had perished in the fire. Danielle shared the heartbreaking confirmation on Facebook, writing: “We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire. “Thank you for all your love, support and prayers over the past few days. They have meant more to us than we can ever express.” The inferno was among the worst wildfires to hit Spain this year, scorching more than 16,000 acres and forcing 1,448 people to flee their homes.