Sleepless Night on Hvar: 200 Hectares of Grass and Pine Forest Burned, 60 Firefighters Defended the Island

Firefighters battled a significant blaze on the island of Hvar, Croatia, which consumed roughly 200 hectares of grass, low brush, and pine forest. The fire erupted Saturday afternoon in the Ivan Dolac area, prompting an immediate response from local fire departments. By late Saturday evening, around 60 firefighters and 15 vehicles remained on the scene to monitor the situation, with reinforcements expected from the mainland to assist with post-fire cleanup. Four Canadair water-bombing aircraft were deployed to aid in the firefighting efforts. Despite challenging conditions, including strong winds that fanned the flames, firefighters successfully defended several agricultural structures and two tourist villas. The quick action prevented the fire from spreading further into these vulnerable areas. The blaze left behind scorched earth and damaged vegetation surrounding the protected properties.

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We defended the houses and they are no longer threatened by the fire. However, the fire has moved uphill and is going over the hill. Four Canadairs are helping us. All island forces are on the ground and for now, it's a fight. We will see everything later, but we hope to extinguish it by nightfall to make it easier. It is not possible to say exactly what will happen now, but we hope it will be good.