Fiery Night on the Coast: 158 Interventions in 24 Hours, Nearly 50 Hectares Burned
Firefighters battled numerous blazes across Dalmatia and Istria, with more than 780 people, 263 vehicles, and 18 firefighting aircraft deployed.
Firefighters battled numerous blazes across Dalmatia and Istria, with more than 780 people, 263 vehicles, and 18 firefighting aircraft deployed.
In just 24 hours, from 7 a.m. on August 4 to 7 a.m. on August 5, 2026, Croatia recorded 158 firefighting interventions. According to the National Fire Operations Center 193, a total of 781 firefighters participated in extinguishing fires and other operations, using 263 vehicles and 18 firefighting aircraft.
A total of 216 firefighting organizations were engaged, and flames consumed 48.6 hectares, mostly grass, low vegetation, and maquis. The most severe situation was along the coast, particularly in the Split-Dalmatia and Zadar counties.
One of the larger fires broke out near Klis, in the settlement of Korušce, where flames engulfed about 15 hectares. Twenty firefighters with eight vehicles responded, supported by five Canadair aircraft from the air. The fire was contained at 7:30 p.m. on August 4, after which firefighters remained on site overnight to monitor and clean up the area.
Further south, near Šestanovac in the Kreševo Brdo area, about four hectares burned. Extinguishing efforts lasted until 8 p.m., involving 45 firefighters with 13 vehicles, supported by two Canadairs and one Air Tractor. Meanwhile, in the Labinska Draga area, a fire consumed nine hectares. Fifty-two firefighters with 16 vehicles, a specialized firefighting train Robel, and five Canadairs were deployed. The fire was brought under control at 8:30 p.m.
The situation in Zadar County was also critical. In the Bokanjac area of Zadar, flames affected grass, low vegetation, and pine forest, with an estimated 14 hectares burned. Forty-eight firefighters with 19 vehicles and two Canadairs battled the blaze, which was contained at 3:45 p.m. on August 4.
Near Privlaka, six hectares burned, and the fire was extinguished at 8:59 p.m. after 28 firefighters with 11 vehicles and two Air Tractors intervened. Smaller fires were also reported near Pakoštane, where three hectares burned, and near Nin, where an Air Tractor conducted one water drop during firefighting reconnaissance.
Istria was not spared either. A fire that broke out on August 1, 2026, near the settlement of Orihi in the Barban municipality was finally extinguished at 6:50 p.m. on August 4. The flames consumed as much as 30 hectares of grass and low vegetation.
Simultaneously, firefighters battled a blaze in the Mandalenčići area, between Gračišće and Pazin. The report was received at 2:19 p.m. on August 3, and flames affected 15.5 hectares. Twenty-three firefighters with 11 vehicles participated in extinguishing efforts, supported by two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft from the air. The fire was contained, and firefighters continued monitoring and cleaning the terrain to prevent re-ignition.
The Croatian Firefighting Association warns that weather conditions continue to favor fire outbreaks and urges citizens to exercise extra caution. They remind that lighting fires in nature is strictly prohibited, and in case of spotting a fire, citizens should immediately call firefighters at 193.
