Fire Near Pučišća: Over 100 Firefighters Defend Homes
The fire broke out in a forest on Brač around 2:30 AM on Thursday and spread quickly, prompting requests for aerial support.
The fire broke out in a forest on Brač around 2:30 AM on Thursday and spread quickly, prompting requests for aerial support.
In the early hours of Thursday, August 13, 2026, a report was received of an outdoor fire in the town of Pučišća on the island of Brač. At exactly 2:30 AM, the County Fire Operations Center of Split-Dalmatia County received the call, and the fire engulfed grass, low vegetation, and forest in highly inaccessible terrain, further complicating the response.
According to the Croatian Firefighting Association, 65 firefighters with 20 vehicles are on the scene, coming from the Brač operational area and the Split Intervention Fire Brigade. In addition, an additional 47 firefighters and 10 vehicles were dispatched from Split-Dalmatia County, bringing the total to over a hundred people battling the blaze.
Chief Fire Commander Slavko Tucaković confirmed to 24sata that all units from Brač are on the ground, with an additional 50 firefighters arriving from the mainland. "More than 100 people are on the ground, all units from Brač are there, and we've sent an additional 50 people from the mainland," Tucaković said.
Due to the rapid spread of the fire, fueled by strong winds, four Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft joined the operation from the morning hours. Additionally, one Air Tractor is also engaged at the fire site, and according to the commander, firefighters have managed to protect nearby homes.
"The fire spread quickly, aided by strong winds. Firefighting forces on the ground successfully kept the fire away from homes. Aerial assets have been on the scene since morning, and reinforcements from the mainland have been dispatched," Tucaković stated.
The burned area has not yet been assessed, and firefighters continue to extinguish the blaze. Meanwhile, in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, near Škrljevo, firefighters are also battling a fire that broke out earlier, around 1:06 AM. There, 101 firefighters with 30 vehicles from three public fire brigades and 12 volunteer fire departments are engaged, with the fire affecting approximately 30 hectares of grass and low vegetation.
Given the weather conditions conducive to fire outbreaks and spread, firefighters urge citizens to exercise extreme caution and remind them that lighting fires in nature is strictly prohibited. In case of fire, call the fire department immediately at 193.
