A fierce wildfire, propelled by strong winds, swept through the Croatian tourist town of Omis overnight, damaging homes, forcing approximately 1,000 people to evacuate, and injuring 36, according to fire and health officials.
The blaze consumed more than 2,470 acres of land and trees, casting a red glow over the sky of Omis, a popular destination on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast situated between hills and forests.
Of the 36 individuals treated by ambulance services in Split, located about 15.5 miles north, 14 were hospitalized. Seven of those hospitalized sustained life-threatening injuries, officials reported.
Emergency shelters were established in several towns between Omis and Split to accommodate the displaced residents and tourists. "It was a strong fire, it swept everything on its way…there has been huge material damage,” stated Chief Fire Commander Slavko Tucakovic.
By Friday morning, the fire had reportedly subsided, with no active flames visible. A portion of the firefighting resources, including four aircraft, were reassigned to a separate fire further south on the Peljesac peninsula.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic was en route to Omis with several government ministers, according to local media.
Hot weather and drought conditions, which scientists have linked to climate change, have contributed to an increase in wildfires across Europe this summer, particularly impacting France, Spain, and Greece. The Balkan region has also experienced several heatwaves.
The fires have posed a threat to tourism during the peak holiday season. On Thursday, hundreds of holidaymakers were evacuated by boat from a coastal town in northern Greece as a wildfire approached the shore.
In Croatia, 286 firefighters, 90 fire vehicles, and four aircraft were engaged in battling the Omis blaze through the night. A section of a major coastal highway was temporarily closed.
Goran Lović, the owner of a cafe near where the fire reportedly began in Lokva Rogoznica, described the rapid escalation: “Everything flared up in a second… It just happened all of a sudden, there was an open flame in the part where there is a forest and no houses.”