VIDEO: Fire came to Ivo's doorstep in a night of terror: 'The priority was to save the home. I let the car burn'

Ivo Kalajžić, a 70-year-old resident of Stanići near Omiš, Croatia, described the terrifying night when a wildfire approached his home, forcing him to make difficult choices.

“

We saved the house ourselves, my son-in-law and I.

"We saved the house ourselves, my son-in-law and I," Kalajžić told Večernji List reporter Slavica Vuković. He explained that he saw the flames on the horizon while still in his pajamas. He quickly changed and began dousing the house with water from a garden hose. Despite weak water pressure, he managed to defend the northern facade, though the western side, bordered by pine trees, was beyond saving. His car, however, was consumed by the flames.

Kalajžić recounted the intense heat, which became unbearable at one point, forcing him to retreat indoors as the wind shifted. Once the situation slightly calmed, he returned to dousing the walls. While the house sustained damage, including cracked windows, deformed plastic, and a cracked facade on the western side, he considered the outcome relatively fortunate compared to the car's destruction.

“

There is damage. My car burned because I primarily took care of the house.

The ordeal extended to his family. His wife barely escaped by car but had to turn back due to the intense heat and blocked roads. His daughter and grandchildren were forced to abandon their vehicle and jump into the sea, waiting for a boat. Kalajžić noted the terrifying reports of people burning and others jumping from cars as the fire raged.

“

The temperature was so high that I had to flee into the house. The wind turned towards me.

This was the third major fire Kalajžić has experienced near his home, but he described this one as the worst. He believes the long-standing issue of unmaintained vegetation, particularly pine trees, fuels such disasters, lamenting that Croatians tend to focus on superficial matters rather than addressing critical environmental maintenance.

“

I am 70 years old. This is my third fire around the house. This one was the worst.