In brief
On Thursday night, a wildfire erupted in the village of Lokva Rogoznica and rapidly spread toward the tourist town of Omis along Croatia’s Adriatic coast. With gale‑force winds, the blaze consumed around 1,000 hectares of pine forest in just four hours, causing significant damage to homes and vehicles. Authorities evacuated about 1,200 residents and tourists, and ten people were taken to hospital in intensive care; one death was confirmed. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited the scene on Friday, praising emergency crews, while firefighters struggled under the fire’s intensity and packed vehicles obstructing their path. The incident underscores the mounting wildfire threat across Europe amid extreme heatwaves.
On Thursday night, a wildfire erupted in the village of Lokva Rogoznica and rapidly spread toward the tourist town of Omis along Croatia’s Adriatic coast.
With gale‑force winds, the blaze consumed roughly 1,000 hectares of pine forest in just four hours, fanning flames across steep hillsides and swallowing vegetation, homes and cars.
Authorities evacuated about 1,200 residents and tourists, with ten people taken to hospitals in intensive care; one death was confirmed. The fire chief described the blaze as one of Croatia’s worst.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited the affected area on Friday, praising the emergency crews and noting the “lightning speed” of the fire due to high winds.
Firefighters across Europe are already under severe pressure from similar wildfires, with many battling blazing fronts across Greece, Germany, and the UK.
