While Zagreb police search for the unknown perpetrator, investigators in Biograd have filed criminal charges against two young men for starting a fire with signal flares in the settlement of Drage.
The Zagreb Police Department announced on August 3, 2026, that the fire that recently broke out in the Črnomerec city district was deliberately set. An investigation determined that the cause was not accidental, but that an unknown perpetrator intentionally used an open flame to start the fire.
The police have not yet released details about a possible motive or information that might point to the identity of the person responsible. It is not known exactly how the fire was started, nor whether there are surveillance camera recordings or witnesses who could assist investigators. The extent of the material damage is still being determined.
The criminal investigation is ongoing, and the public will be informed of any new findings once investigators have gathered enough relevant information. At this point, it is not known whether the police have identified a suspect or have leads that could lead to the perpetrator.
On the same day that the update on the Črnomerec fire was released, the Biograd Police Station reported the completion of a criminal investigation into two Croatian citizens aged 21 and 22. They are suspected of having caused a fire on Čelinka hill in the settlement of Drage, in the municipality of Pakoštane, on July 31, 2026, at around 8:55 PM by firing signal flares.
In the incident, maquis, low vegetation, and grass burned. The fire was reported to the Zadar County Fire Operations Center, and it was extinguished with the engagement of ground and aerial firefighting forces, brought under control within an hour. Material damage is still being assessed. Both suspects will face criminal charges filed with the competent State Attorney's Office in Zadar on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of endangering life and property by a generally dangerous act or means.
