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Devastating Wildfire Engulfs Croatian Coast, Leaving Homes Destroyed and One Dead
🇭🇷 Croatia /Disasters & Emergencies

Devastating Wildfire Engulfs Croatian Coast, Leaving Homes Destroyed and One Dead

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A devastating wildfire near Omiš, Croatia, raged on August 13, fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation.
  • The fire destroyed between 900 and 1000 hectares, consuming homes, cars, and large areas of forest.
  • Over a thousand people were evacuated, and tragically, one person died while 36 others required medical attention.

The coastal area near Omiš, Croatia, is left in ruins after a catastrophic wildfire swept through Lokva Rogoznica on the night of August 13. What was once a verdant landscape is now a desolate scene of ash and charred debris, with the remains of cars and boats scattered among blackened tree trunks.

Fueled by hurricane-force winds and parched vegetation after a prolonged heatwave, the fire ignited near Lokva Rogoznica around 8:15 PM on Thursday. It rapidly escalated from a small brush fire into one of Croatia's most severe fire events in recent history, reaching the outskirts of Omiš itself.

This was once a ship.

— Slavica VukovićVečernji list journalist Slavica Vuković describes the devastation in Lokva Rogoznica.

The inferno consumed an estimated 900 to 1000 hectares, obliterating numerous homes and vehicles. The adjacent settlements of Stanići and Marušići, along with the hills above Omiš, were also engulfed by flames. Authorities evacuated over a thousand residents and tourists, some by land to a sports hall in Omiš and others by sea via Coast Guard vessels. Evacuees were also housed in halls in Split and Makarska.

This was once a ship. Actually, just two days ago.

— Slavica VukovićVečernji list journalist Slavica Vuković points out the remains of a boat in Lokva Rogoznica.

Tragically, the fire claimed a life. Police discovered a body while surveying the burnt area on Friday. Unconfirmed reports suggest the victim is a 34-year-old woman from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was reportedly separated from two companions after leaving her car in Stanići during the evacuation. The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service had been searching for her for days.

The human toll extends beyond the fatality, with 36 individuals seeking help at the KBC Split hospital. Fourteen were admitted, ten of whom are in intensive care. Three critically injured patients with extensive burns were transferred to Zagreb, and a minor is being treated in Zagreb's Klaićeva hospital. All are in life-threatening condition.

We are very close to the sea. The main road is right below us. The forest is completely burned. Wrecked cars.

— Slavica VukovićVečernji list journalist Slavica Vuković describes the scene near the coast.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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