Croatian Villagers Fought Wildfire with Shovels After Water Failure

In the village of Čeline, near Omiš, Croatia, residents resorted to using shovels to defend their homes from a raging wildfire after their water supply was cut off. The dramatic defense occurred as the fire rapidly advanced on the community.

Local men stayed behind to battle the flames, while children were evacuated to the safety of Omiš. The situation was dire, with the village's special water supply dependent on electricity, which also failed. Even firefighters reportedly ran out of water, leaving the residents to their own devices.

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We were surrounded by smoke and fire, we used water as much as we could. We have a special water supply that depends on electricity, if the electricity goes out, the water goes out and the electricity went out. And the firefighters ran out of water, so they left. We were left alone with shovels and somehow managed to save some houses.

"We were surrounded by smoke and fire, we used water as much as we could. We have a special water supply that depends on electricity, if the electricity goes out, the water goes out and the electricity went out," said Karlo, a resident, describing the harrowing experience to N1. "And the firefighters ran out of water, so they left. We were left alone with shovels and somehow managed to save some houses."

Despite the danger, Karlo stated he was not afraid, though aware of the risks. The fire spread with alarming speed, reaching their village within 45 minutes. While some houses were saved by residents continuously dousing them with water, others, including ruins and at least one house, were destroyed. A neighbor's car was also lost in a garage fire. Aid from various parts of Croatia, including a donation convoy from Petrinja, arrived to support the firefighting efforts.

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We saw the light approaching us, in 45 minutes it came to our village. We were dousing the houses with water, that saved us. The night was endless, we couldn't sleep, eat. We moved the children to Omiš, only the men remained to defend the houses.