Deadly Croatia Wildfire Drives Resort Evacuations Across Europe
A fast-moving wildfire near Omiš killed one person, injured dozens and forced mass evacuations as heat and strong winds fueled fires across European resort regions.
Hundreds evacuated from Croatian and Greek resorts as wildfires stretch across Europe
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Body found after wildfire hits Croatian coastal town
Wildfires force hundreds of tourists to evacuate in Greece and Croatia
Tourists evacuated as Croatia wildfire kills one
Flames reach the Adriatic shoreline
A wind-driven wildfire swept into settlements near Omiš on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast overnight, killing one person, injuring 40 and forcing about 1,200 residents and tourists to leave.reuters +1 Emergency shelters opened in nearby towns, while evacuees spent the night in a sports hall as crews fought to keep the flames from advancing farther through the resort area.theguardian +1
The blaze tore through Lokva Rogoznica, damaging homes, cafés, restaurants, cars and boats. Fourteen patients were admitted to hospital in Split, including seven with life-threatening injuries, while police found a body during a search of burned ground Friday afternoon.theguardian Regional fire commander Slavko Tucaković said the fire had caused extensive material damage but appeared calmer by morning.reuters +1
Holiday routes become escape corridors
The emergency unfolded at the height of Croatia’s summer tourism season. Parts of the main coastal road near Omiš were closed, disrupting the route between Split and Dubrovnik, and maritime authorities rescued 194 people, including children, from the sea and boats as they tried to escape.reuters Reports of tourists being evacuated in both Croatia and Greece showed how quickly resort infrastructure was being repurposed for emergency movement and shelter.gamereactor
Across the Adriatic and Aegean region, the same combination of dry vegetation, high temperatures and strong winds was driving new evacuations. In northern Greece, small boats carried hundreds of people away from beaches near Siviri and Fourka after a forest fire threatened the Halkidiki resorts. Firefighters brought the roughly two-mile front under control, though crews remained alert for flare-ups and authorities restricted access to pine forests.theguardian
A wider European emergency
The Croatian fire was part of a broader day of disruption. More than 2,000 people left homes near Germany’s Hürtgen forest, where unexploded Second World War munitions complicated firefighting, while more than 500 residents fled Luglon in south-west France as flames crossed roughly 1,100 hectares of pine forest.theguardian Fires also damaged homes in England and threatened historic sites in Spain.
Extreme heat has left landscapes unusually dry across much of the continent. About 150 million Europeans were expected to experience temperatures of at least 35C on Friday, while the EU’s Copernicus service warned of pockets of “very extreme” fire conditions.theguardian Scientists say climate change is intensifying heat and drying soils, with Europe warming at about twice the global average rate.theguardian For coastal communities, the immediate test is keeping displaced residents and visitors safe while crews watch for renewed winds and fresh ignitions.