One person has died and approximately 40 others have been injured after a significant wildfire spread rapidly through coastal areas of Croatia, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists. The blaze ignited Thursday evening near the village of Lokva Rogoznica and quickly advanced towards the nearby town of Omis.
According to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, around 1,200 individuals were evacuated, with 10 people requiring intensive care in hospitals. Croatia's fire chief, Slavko Tucakovic, characterized the event as "one of the worst" wildfires in the nation's history. Villages situated near the Adriatic city of Split were also impacted by the fire, which consumed areas of pine-forested hillsides, causing substantial damage to homes and vehicles.
Tucakovic stated that the firestorm destroyed "everything in their path." Officials confirmed that strong winds fanned the flames, enabling the fire to engulf an estimated 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) within a four-hour period.
Over 300 firefighters were deployed throughout Thursday night, facing challenging conditions as the fire's progression occasionally forced crews to retreat. Footage shared online depicted dense smoke and large flames engulfing vegetation, painting the sky red as stranded individuals sought escape. Some individuals were compelled to enter the sea from boats to evade the advancing fire.
Croatia is experiencing a severe wildfire season, a trend seen in several other European nations grappling with extreme heat and dry weather conditions this summer.