Fire on 10th Floor in Varaždin: Residents Evacuated
While Varaždin firefighters were rescuing residents of a building, their colleagues on the island of Krk appealed to drivers who did not let them through to a fire in Njivice.
While Varaždin firefighters were rescuing residents of a building, their colleagues on the island of Krk appealed to drivers who did not let them through to a fire in Njivice.
Shortly before noon on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, a fire broke out on the tenth floor of a residential building on Miroslav Krleža Street in Varaždin. Thick smoke that began to spread up the building's vertical shaft forced residents to evacuate quickly, and one person sought medical attention for smoke inhalation.
Teams from the Varaždin Public Fire Brigade were immediately dispatched to the scene and quickly brought the fire under control. During the operation, a person who had inhaled smoke was pulled from the burning apartment. As the smoke had spread through the stairwell and entered numerous apartments, all residents were temporarily evacuated and waited outside the building for the operation to conclude.
The police secured the area around the building, and once the extinguishing is fully complete, an investigation will follow to determine the exact cause of the fire.
On the same day, firefighters were also busy on the island of Krk. A report of a kitchen fire in a house in Njivice came in at 10:38 AM, and the on-duty crew of the Krk Public Fire Brigade responded with two fire engines. Upon arrival, they noticed smoke coming out through the front door and windows of the property.
"Upon arrival at the scene, we noticed smoke coming out through the front door and windows of the building. We set up a hose line to the entrance and immediately began extinguishing the fire, preventing its further spread to the rest of the house. The fire was contained at 11:03 AM, after which a detailed inspection of the building was carried out with a thermal imaging camera, checking for possible hidden hotspots, smoldering, and heat sources to rule out the possibility of re-ignition," the Krk firefighters stated.
Although the fire was quickly contained and its spread to the rest of the house was prevented, significant material damage was caused. However, the Krk firefighters took the opportunity to highlight a serious problem they encountered on their way to the intervention.
"During our drive to the scene, we encountered irresponsible behavior by some drivers who did not promptly allow fire trucks to pass or form an emergency corridor. Such behavior wastes precious minutes that can be crucial in these situations. We appeal to all drivers to immediately allow unimpeded passage and form an emergency corridor when emergency vehicles approach. Every second counts, and by promptly letting firefighters, emergency medical services, and police through, you can directly help save lives and property," the Krk firefighters emphasized.
