From the beginning of the year to August 10, 8,832 fires were recorded, with the burned area increasing by as much as 75 percent compared to last year. Chief Fire Commander Tucaković cites prolonged drought and dry thunderstorms as the main causes.
Croatia is recording a significant increase in the number of fires and burned areas this year compared to the same period last year. According to data from the National Fire Operations Center 193, from January 1 to August 10, 8,832 fires were recorded in the country, representing an increase of 7.62 percent compared to 2025.
During this period, firefighters conducted a total of 29,358 interventions. More than 20,000 of these cases were related to technical operations and other incidents. Concerningly, the number of open-space fires increased by 23.4 percent, and the area burned increased by 75 percent. This year, 9,646 hectares have burned, while by the same date last year, 5,510 hectares had been affected.
Due to the higher number of fires, firefighting aircraft have been deployed to 104 fire sites this year, nearly double the 58 sites during the same period in 2025. Chief Fire Commander Tucaković explains that weather conditions are the main culprits.
According to statistics, we are recording a higher number of interventions on open-space fires than last year. This can be attributed to the weather, namely the prolonged drought with high temperatures that dry out vegetation. This year, there have also been more dry thunderstorms, which triggered multiple fires in a short time. Although there were many fires, firefighters and air assets responded successfully and extinguished most of them quickly.
Tucaković also urged citizens to be cautious in the coming period, when high temperatures are expected.
This year's season has also been marked by a higher number of fires in the continental part of Croatia. The largest deployment of firefighters yesterday, August 11, was in Cernik, in the Brod-Posavina County. A report of an open-space fire came in at 1:29 PM, and the flames engulfed 100 hectares of grass and low vegetation. Forty-two firefighters with 12 vehicles from the Nova Gradiška Public Fire Brigade and seven volunteer fire departments took part in extinguishing it. The operation concluded this morning at 4:36 AM.
That same day, a fire also broke out in Kotoriba, in the Međimurje County, where flames affected 5.5 hectares of grass and vegetation. The Kotoriba Volunteer Fire Department received the call at 1:49 PM, and nine firefighters with two vehicles extinguished the fire by 3:35 PM. In Zagreb's Remetinec neighborhood, two hectares of grass and low vegetation burned yesterday. The report came in at 12:41 PM, and 15 firefighters with seven vehicles from the Zagreb Public Fire Brigade and five volunteer fire departments took part. The fire was extinguished at 5:46 PM.
Open-space fires were also reported yesterday along the coast. The Split-Dalmatia County Fire Operations Center received a report of a fire near Vinišće at 9:30 PM. Grass, low vegetation, and young pine forest were burning. Twenty-seven firefighters with 10 vehicles were involved in extinguishing it. The fire was brought under control at 3:00 AM this morning, and cleanup is ongoing.
In Dubrovnik, a pine forest fire was reported tonight, nine minutes after midnight. An area of 6,000 square meters was burned. Thirty-two firefighters with 10 vehicles from the Dubrovnik Fire Brigade Public Fire Department, the Dubrovnik City Fire Association, and the Zaton Volunteer Fire Department responded. The fire was contained at 1:45 AM, and rehabilitation is also underway.
Due to weather conditions conducive to fires, firefighters are asking citizens to be cautious. They remind the public of the ban on open fires in nature and urge anyone who spots a fire to call 193 immediately.
