Tourists Set Fire to Apartment in Poreč

The owner of a luxury apartment in Poreč lived through a nightmare when, according to his claims, German tourists completely destroyed his property in a fire. In a video obtained by RTL Danas, the owner showed the burnt-out building and recounted what happened in the moments while the fire was consuming the apartment.

Guests Celebrated While the House Burned

According to him, at the moment the fire broke out, the guests were in front of the house, celebrating, singing, and dancing while he and his neighbors tried to call for help. "Those same guests got in our faces, trying to stop us. They tried to start a fight, gave us the middle finger, and made all sorts of faces," the owner recounted in the video.

He added that these were guests who had booked the apartment through the Booking platform and that the platform, after the report of the guests and the damage they caused, had done nothing. "They started blaming us for the other guests too, claiming we had to pay for their accommodation because we had to evacuate the whole house," he said.

Fire Broke Out in the Kitchen, Temperatures Exceeded 600 Degrees

Istria Police released details of the fire, stating they received a report of a fire in an apartment in Cancini at around 5:40 PM. No one was injured in the fire, but the 63-year-old owner suffered significant material damage.

"Police officers, in cooperation with the fire, explosives, and weapons inspector, conducted an investigation and determined that the fire broke out in the kitchen due to heat transfer from the electric stove top to aluminum material and subsequently to other surrounding combustible materials, and the fire engulfed most of the living space on the upper floor of the house," police stated.

The owner particularly praised the Poreč firefighters. "After extinguishing, temperatures higher than 600 degrees were measured on the walls. You can imagine what it was like for them to fight in such conditions," he said, adding that he is grateful no one was hurt.

Unregistered Guests and Arrogant Behavior

The portal Istria Terra Magica unofficially learns that the fire broke out when a pan with potatoes was left on the turned-on electric stove. The homeowner told the portal that the guests arrived at the apartment on August 2 and began behaving arrogantly as early as the next day.

He claims that, despite the house rules prohibiting the bringing in of unregistered persons, they brought nine more friends into the apartment, so at one point there were 13 of them in total. "I told him that it was strictly forbidden to bring other people who were not registered in the apartment. He got in my face and said he would do whatever he wanted in the apartment because he had booked it," the owner recounted.

To avoid a conflict, he and his wife briefly went to the sea. "When we returned, we could hear loud music from the car. There were many people, they were dancing, drinking, and celebrating. I started walking towards them, and then I saw thick black smoke and heard shouts: 'Feuer, Feuer!' That's when I realized the apartment was on fire," he said.

Damage Exceeds €400,000

The apartment, covering about 100 square meters, was luxuriously furnished, and all the furniture, including the kitchen, was custom-made. "The furniture alone was worth between €45,000 and €50,000. When you add the value of the property, the damage certainly exceeds €400,000," the owner said.

Due to the fire, three other families who were also guests in the house had to be evacuated. Police conducted a criminal investigation into a 44-year-old German national on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of endangering life and property by a generally dangerous act or means, and will submit a report to the competent state attorney's office.

In a brief interview with RTL Danas, the owner said he was in complete shock. "We are morally broken. My wife cannot even speak."