British tourists were compelled to flee a wildfire on the Croatian island of Brac using small boats, reporting a lack of assistance from hotel staff and the holiday organizer TUI. Holidaymakers stated they were directed back to their rooms and told to "relax with a drink" as flames approached their resort, the Gava Waterman Milna Resort.
According to accounts from tourists, including 26-year-old Josh Robbins, hotel staff had already departed the premises, leaving guests without an evacuation plan. Robbins described the situation as "terrifying" and likened the escape to the Dunkirk evacuation. He recounted that hotel doors were locked, trapping some guests, and that the departing staff's cars had blocked the resort's access road, hindering potential fire appliance access.
Guests eventually made their way to the beach, with some entering the sea to escape the advancing fire. A flotilla of approximately 50 local boats arrived around 11 p.m. to rescue the stranded holidaymakers. TUI reportedly sent an evacuation message later, around 11:30 p.m.
Nearly 700 people were evacuated from the island on Sunday as the wildfire spread. Hundreds of firefighters and four firefighting planes were deployed to combat the blaze. Croatian authorities reported that "open flames" were no longer present on the island.
The wildfires are believed to have started due to lightning strikes on Thursday and spread towards Milna on Friday. Approximately one-third of the guests at the Gava Waterman resort were British. Despite ash falling on the resort, staff had initially maintained the hotel was safe on Saturday night before power was cut at 9:35 p.m., prompting panicked guests to attempt to leave.
One tourist, Lorraine Pearce, wrote on Facebook that there was no evacuation plan and guests largely self-organized their escape. She praised local residents for their aid, providing clothes, blankets, accommodation, and boat rescues. The rescued tourists were transferred to the coastal city of Split, and no injuries were reported.
A spokesperson for TUI stated, "We know this will have been a distressing experience for those affected by the wildfire on the island of Brac. The safety of our customers is our highest priority and our local teams have been supporting those impacted and working closely with the hotel and local authorities."