On Monday, the fire took on a criminal-law dimension: the four suspects accused of starting ten fires were remanded in custody, and the judge does not rule out a terrorism classification either. Omiš has started estimating the damage, restaurateurs say the season is over, and fuel became more expensive at midnight.
Key actors — tap for context
Omiš
A coastal town at the mouth of the Cetina River between Split and the Makarska Riviera, popular with Slovak and Czech holidaymakers.
Why here: During the night, the fire reached its center and burned houses, cars and boats.
More info →Slavko Tucaković
Croatia's chief fire commander.
Why here: He called the fire one of the worst in the country's history and announced on Friday evening that the fire lines were under control except for the area near Zadar.
Andrej Plenković
Prime Minister of Croatia since 2016 and leader of the conservative HDZ.
Why here: He came to Omiš for a crisis meeting and faces questions over why residents were not warned through the SRUUK system.
More info →
Robert Fico
Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic.
Why here: He called Plenković, expressed solidarity and offered Croatia assistance.
More info →Hana Kováčová
Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Croatia.
Why here: Fico spoke with her in person about the situation of Slovak tourists in the affected area.
Dugi otok
An island in the Zadar archipelago, one of Croatia's longest islands.
Why here: On Friday evening a new fire broke out there near Brbinj, and by Saturday morning it was still not under control.
More info →
Pelješac
A peninsula between Split and Dubrovnik, known for its vineyards and the bridge that bypasses Bosnia's Neum corridor.
Why here: On Friday, fire broke out there from Kuna Pelješka to Potomje, and firefighters later found unexploded World War II mortar ammunition at the scene.
More info →Lokva Rogoznica
A small coastal settlement south of Omiš.
Why here: The fire started here on Thursday evening and, in strong bura winds, spread from here to Omiš.
Jadrolinija
Croatia's state ferry company.
Why here: Because of the fire, it reinforced the Pelješac Peninsula connection to the mainland and kept the Ploče - Trpanj route running outside the timetable.
Hrvatski autoklub
The Croatian automobile club that publishes current road conditions and border waiting times.
Why here: Its overview is currently the most reliable source for which roads in Dalmatia are closed.
The Toll: One Dead and Eight People in Critical Condition
- The condition of the injured has slightly stabilized, the Croatian public broadcaster HRT reports. HRT ↗
- Omiš has launched an urgent damage estimate. A professor from the Faculty of Agriculture warns that the consequences will be catastrophic, not only for buildings but also for soil and vegetation. Index.hr ↗Index.hr ↗N1 Croatia ↗
- For Omiš restaurateurs, the season is over. "We are desperate," they told Index, and the town meanwhile gave Zagreb firefighters an emotional send-off. Index.hr ↗24sata ↗
- Boban clarified the toll from the fire near Omiš: 106 vehicles, 28 houses and 45 vessels burned. N1 Croatia ↗
- In Omiš itself, 50 houses are completely destroyed and another 55 partially damaged. Večernji list ↗
- Four injured people are still in life-threatening condition. Radio Sarajevo ↗
- The head of Croatia's firefighters described why the fire could not be stopped: "The embers were flying like a snowstorm and igniting everything in front of them." N1 Bosna ↗
- Four injured people are still in life-threatening condition. N1 Croatia ↗
- Firefighter Jure's eardrum burst in the Omiš fire, he said from hospital. Index.hr ↗
- Four people were detained on suspicion of arson, and USKOK has joined the investigation. N1 Croatia ↗
- According to Index, three of those detained are of Serbian nationality. Index.hr ↗
- On Čiovo, police detained a man who was returning from a night out and set dry grass alight with a lighter. N1 Croatia ↗
- Defense Minister Anušić: "The number of fires that break out in one day, exactly when a bura is being announced, is illogical." N1 Croatia ↗
- Antun was woken during the night of the fire by his dog Demi: "I open the door - inferno." Index.hr ↗
- The man whose house near Omiš was the first to burn down: "This keeps happening, it's a disgrace." Index.hr ↗
- Volunteers near Omiš are also helping animals: "The situation is hard to describe." Index.hr ↗
- County prefect Boban counted the damage: the fire hit 58 houses, 36 cars and 25 vessels. 24sata ↗Index.hr ↗N1 Croatia ↗
- The fire is under control, doctors are still fighting for the most seriously injured. HRT ↗
- The night at the fire site passed calmly, and cleanup continues. HRT ↗
- The State Attorney's Office established where the fire started: it came from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the fire line was 23 kilometers long. Index.hr ↗N1 Croatia ↗
- The State Attorney's Office also ordered DNA analysis of the body found near Omiš. Index.hr ↗
- More than five hundred people sought refuge in the sea near Omiš. "You could see the struggle to survive in their eyes," a witness says. N1 Croatia ↗
- People are crying at the burned site, counting the damage and thanking God they are alive. Even the cables laid underground burned. Večernji list ↗
- The mayor of Omiš on the damage estimate: "I think people will be well compensated and it will be quick." 24sata ↗
- Four fires broke out in a single day and many suspect an arsonist. A priest who was rescuing people says it plainly: "I think someone set the fire." 24sata ↗Index.hr ↗
- Experts warn that the fire near Omiš was one of the worst and that such fires will become larger and more dangerous. 24sata ↗
- A fire can create its own weather: the bura front slows it down, but carries hot embers downhill. N1 Croatia ↗
- The situation is severe on Dinara, and the Croatian army is helping firefighters. HRT ↗
- Canadair pilots have been extinguishing the fire for hours: "The pace is very intense, we are still in the air." N1 Croatia ↗
- The power grid has been restored, and Šušnjar thanked HEP and Elektrodalmacija. HRT ↗
- A moving scene from the fire: a grandson drove his grandmother to safety in a wheelbarrow. 24sata ↗
- Weather changes are coming, and temperatures may drop by ten degrees. N1 Croatia ↗
During the fire-site inspection, firefighters found the body of a younger person. Police have not officially determined the person's sex or identity. According to witnesses cited by RTL Danas, the person was in a car with two women on the Adriatic Highway near Mala Luka. When they were surrounded by fire, they got out of the vehicle; one of them's escape proved fatal, and the other two suffered serious injuries. Slobodna Dalmacija reports unofficially that this may be a 34-year-old citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina who disappeared while fleeing the fire in Stanići. There is no official confirmation yet. Index.hr ↗
More than forty people have been injured. Eight people are fighting for their lives, some have burns on seventy percent of their bodies, and among the seriously injured is a seventeen-year-old girl. Four patients were transferred from Split to Zagreb. Večernji list ↗ Index.hr ↗
The Croatian Red Cross says it has taken care of more than two thousand people in Split, Omiš and Makarska. The total number evacuated differs by source: TASR says more than one thousand evacuated, SITA says roughly two thousand. Split hospital admitted forty patients, including a German and a Polish tourist. Chief fire commander Slavko Tucaković called the fire one of the worst in Croatia's history; according to him, 900 to 1,000 hectares burned. N1 Hrvatska ↗ SITA ↗
Authorities Have Not Recorded Any Injured Slovaks, Thirty Contacted the Embassy
After a phone call with Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the Slovak Embassy in Zagreb and the Foreign Ministry's crisis center had contacted thirty Slovak tourists. "We are not recording any injured people, and damage to the property of our citizens cannot be ruled out," he said. He also spoke about the situation with Ambassador Hana Kováčová and offered Croatia assistance. SITA ↗Two Slovak police officers are also operating in the affected area. Police Presidium spokeswoman Lea Vilhanová said they are providing assistance to the Croatian police. "Police officers Dušan and Miloš are serving during August in the Trogir, Split, Podgora, Tučepi, Brela and Makarska areas, where they are helping to secure the situation and are ready to provide assistance to Slovak citizens," she said. SITA ↗
Anyone who needs help outside office hours has access to the nonstop emergency line of the Foreign Ministry's International Operational Crisis Center at +421 2 5978 5978 and +421 906 075 978. The line operates 24 hours a day in all time zones. Note that it is not for ordinary consular information, but for reporting deaths, hospitalizations, detentions by police and other serious cases threatening life, health or property. TASR / Teraz.sk ↗
Neighbors fared worse. The foreign ministries of Hungary and Poland announced that four Hungarians and four Poles were injured, and aside from one Pole in intensive care, all have already been discharged. Hospodárske noviny ↗ Five Czechs were still in evacuation centers on Friday evening, and none of them was seriously injured. iDNES ↗
What Applies on the Roads and Ferries Today
- Fuel became more expensive at midnight, and Novi list warns that a diesel shortage may be looming: its price is breaking records, even though oil on world markets has not become more expensive. 24sata ↗Novi list ↗
- The search for the missing Portuguese shipwreck survivor in the Velebit Channel has been called off by the authorities. Index.hr ↗HRT ↗
- A practical note unrelated to the fires: Croatia is pulling frozen strawberries from sale because of norovirus. Radio Sarajevo ↗
- Police seized large quantities of drugs at three locations in Dalmatia. Index.hr ↗
- Mountain rescue on Cres found the body of the head of an Italian tennis club who had gone swimming toward a small islet. Večernji list ↗
According to the latest overview from the Croatian Automobile Club, the Omiš bypass DC553 is closed to all vehicles. On state road DC414 in the Prizdrina - Potomje section and on local road LC29026 Kuna Pelješka - Pijavičino, traffic is moving in one lane, which is an improvement compared with Friday, when both roads were completely closed. HAK ↗
Anyone heading to the sea today must take into account that the Feast of the Assumption is one of the busiest travel days of the summer. Between Zagreb and Bosiljevo, traffic toward the coast is moving in queues with short stops, and an accident on the A1 before Bosiljevo is complicating travel. In the opposite direction, a queue is forming before the Trakošćan toll booth, stretching all the way into Slovenia. Exact kilometer markers and queue lengths change every half hour, so check the situation right before you set off directly on the automobile club's website. HAK ↗
Jadrolinija has reinforced the mainland connection because of the heavy demand to leave the Pelješac Peninsula, and the ferry on the Ploče - Trpanj route has been running continuously outside the timetable. Index.hr ↗
Where They Are Still Fighting Fires
- The Firefighters' Association has declared a high danger of fire outbreaks for several counties. The risk therefore has not diminished after Omiš, only shifted elsewhere. Novi list ↗24sata ↗
- The suspect in the Dalmatia arson cases received more than 220,000 euros in subsidies, Večernji list found. Večernji list ↗
- New details have emerged about the detained Serbs suspected of arson near Zadar. Neighbors tell Serbian media: "They had Croatian friends, I don't understand what happened." Nova ↗
- Two Serbian citizens were attacked on Pag, and police detained three men. Večernji list ↗
- The extraordinary parliamentary session requested by the president has been called for Thursday. Novi list ↗
- This is the last update wave for this article. The Croatian season continues, and we will cover further developments in a separate text so that the list of updates remains clear.
- The four suspects in the arson case were remanded in custody, and according to 24sata the judge does not rule out a terrorism classification either. They had weapons with them and started fires along the county's edge in order to spread the firefighters as widely as possible. According to police, they are three Croatian citizens and one Polish woman. 24sata ↗24sata ↗Index.hr ↗N1 Bosna ↗
- The fire in Ilok is under control, and two Croatian Canadairs flew out to help fight the fires in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 24sata ↗Index.hr ↗
- The president is calling for an extraordinary parliamentary session over the environmental disaster in Lika. Nova ↗Danas ↗
- Residents of Omiš are afraid again - after the fire comes a new danger from the bare, exposed slopes. Radio Sarajevo ↗
- Croatian public broadcaster HRT reminds readers that Spain, Belgium and Greece are also fighting severe fires at the same time. HRT ↗
- Planes and firefighters have brought the new fire near Zadar under control. Index.hr ↗
- The fire near Jovići is under control, and firefighters will remain on site through the night. The Firefighters' Association issued an appeal to citizens and tourists HRT ↗N1 Croatia ↗.
- A fire broke out in the "Valley of Peace" near Ilok, burning on both sides of the border. 24sata ↗Index.hr ↗
- Four signal rockets were fired near Makarska and firefighters were mobilized. Index.hr ↗
- On another mountain on the Croatian border, mines are blocking firefighters' access to the fire. Index.hr ↗
- Residents of Dugi otok after the fire: "If the jugo wind had been blowing, we could have become the new Omiš." N1 Croatia ↗Index.hr ↗
- The head of the Dubrovnik firefighters warns: "We throw away a cigarette butt, think it is out, but it does not disappear on its own." Index.hr ↗N1 Croatia ↗
- Aleppo pine turns into a fire spreader in flames: "It looks beautiful, but keep it away from houses." 24sata ↗
Tucaković announced on Friday evening that the situation is under control at all fire sites except the area near Zadar, and warned that the maestral wind will require caution. N1 Hrvatska ↗
It was precisely near Zadar that a new blaze broke out in the meantime. The fire near Brbinj on Dugi otok was still not under control on Saturday morning, Croatian media confirmed most recently shortly after seven o'clock. Around a hundred firefighters are intervening there; seventeen vehicles and fifty people came from the mainland, the fire line was split into two fronts a kilometer and six hundred meters long, and firefighters requested two Canadairs. Through the night they defended all houses and holiday homes without damage. Firefighters in Zadar also dealt with four other fires on the county mainland and one smaller one on the island of Iž. Net.hr ↗
On Pelješac there is no open flame anymore, but firefighters remain at the site on the chief commander's orders. They found unexploded World War II mortar ammunition there, around which everything had burned, they say. They marked the site and reported it to the police; the Dubrovnik-Neretva police administration said it will publish the information as soon as it has it. This is not the established cause of the fire. A firefighter involved in the operation warned that such old ammunition is a permanent risk in burned terrain because it can explode at any time and seriously injure a person. Net.hr ↗ Slovenian firefighters are also helping with the firefighting in Croatia. Index.hr ↗
What Holidaymakers Are Entitled To
- The business community is calling for immediate help for companies hit by the fire near Omiš. Index.hr ↗
- Fears of a bad season elsewhere have eased - hotels in one resort are almost full. N1 Croatia ↗
- The town of Omiš has published instructions on how to report fire damage. (Index.hr ↗, N1 Croatia ↗)
It depends on how they arranged the trip. Executive director of the Association of Czech Travel Agencies and Agents Kateřina Chaloupková told Deník that anyone who traveled with a travel agency or bought accommodation through an agent is entitled to a refund for the unused nights on a pro-rata basis. Since the stay ended because of force majeure, for which the agency is not responsible, there is no entitlement to further compensation for psychological harm or lost profit. According to her, travel agencies either arrange a transfer to replacement accommodation for clients or an earlier return home, which may not be easy in high season. Executive director of the Association of Travel Agencies Michal Veber added that it is also possible to arrange a different place or date if the person has not yet set off. Deník ↗
Those who booked accommodation themselves are not covered by these rules and must rely on an agreement with the accommodation provider.
Why Many Did Not Receive a Warning
- "No one helped us, we saved ourselves." Petra was trapped in the fire near Omiš; another woman wrote a letter about how people helped each other when "everything around us was burning." Index.hr ↗24sata ↗
- A Hungarian family with a three-year-old child escaped by car straight through the fire in Omiš - video shows how close they got. (Večernji list ↗)
- Split mayor Puljak asks: "What about the twelve thousand tourists? Who told them what to do while it was burning?" (Index.hr ↗, 24sata ↗)
Croatia has the SRUUK early-warning system, which can send alerts directly to mobile phones in the threatened area and cost 8.4 million euros. No one near Omiš received one. The Civil Protection Directorate explained that SRUUK is only an information tool and that the chief fire commander or a person authorized by him decides whether a message is sent during major fires. Index.hr ↗
For foreigners, this was the worst part, because they do not follow local portals. A Czech tourist told iROZHLAS that the siren in Omiš did not sound, she put the children in the car and drove through the flames. iROZHLAS ↗ The practical conclusion for holidaymakers is unpleasant but clear. You cannot rely on an official warning, and before setting out in the morning and during your stay it is worth checking the Croatian Automobile Club website and the Facebook page of the town where you are staying.
Read also: Holiday in Croatia: 15-hour queues at the border, alcohol ban in Split and towel raids
What Hotinfo Is Tracking
- Whether police confirm the victim's identity and whether more are found once the whole fire site is searched.
- How the eight people in critical condition fare, among them a seventeen-year-old girl.
- Whether the fire on Dugi Otok can be brought under control before the maestral picks up.
- What the Dubrovnik-Neretva police say about the Second World War ordnance found on Pelješac and what emerges about the cause of the fire there. And whether the Croatian government explains why the €8.4 million SRUUK system stayed silent during the worst fire of the season.
