Bédar (AFP)

Firefighters aided by better weather on Saturday gained the upper hand on one of Spain's deadliest wildfires as survivors described "horrific" and terrifying moments as they escaped the flames.

Around 500 firefighters backed by over 20 water-dropping aircraft were battling the blaze which erupted Thursday in the Gallardos area of the southern region of Andalusia, home to many foreign residents.

Calmer winds and higher air humidity levels have allowed firefighters to directly attack the flames for the first time, Antonio Sanz, the Andalusian regional government's emergency chief, told reporters.

"A window of opportunity opened this morning," he added during an interview with Canal Sur television.

"And for the first time, we may be able to start thinking about stabilising the fire."
Officials said the 12 people who died in the fast-moving fire had been trapped in vehicles and as they tried to flee on foot.

She recalled another major wildfire in 2012 when residents had been able to return home the following day, saying: "This time it was like hell."

Bedar was virtually a ghost town Saturday afternoon, with nearly all of its residents evacuated, according to an AFP reporter.

The hillside village bore the scars of the fire: vegetation had been reduced to ash, while some homes had blackened walls.

Police kept the main road into town closed

'Get out' 

Officials said some of those who died had not followed orders to evacuate or to shelter in place once the flames got too close.

The wildfire - one of the deadliest in Spain's recent history - forced some 1,500 people to evacuate.

It has so far burned over 6,000 hectares in an area of steep ravines that is hard for vehicles to reach.

The authorities suspect the wildfire began when a power line broke as Spain sweltered in extreme heat, exceeding 40C in recent weeks.

Winter and spring rains spurred abundant vegetation that later dried out in successive heat waves, leaving ample fuel for wildfires, officials said.

Scientists agree that human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves more likely and more intense.

Officials said they could not establish a definitive toll until the bodies recovered from the fire had been formally identified.