Fire at Zrće Brought Under Control at 6 AM

Volunteer firefighters from Novalja spent the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in a tough battle against a fire that broke out in the forest at Zrće. They received the report at 1:45 AM, and just three minutes later, at 1:48, the first crew was on its way to the scene.

Extinguishing the fire was extremely challenging due to the strong bora wind that fanned the flames and allowed them to spread quickly. A total of 30 firefighters with seven fire engines responded. After hours of exhausting efforts, the fire was finally brought under control and contained by 6:00 AM.

"Just three minutes later, at 1:48 AM, the first firefighting crew headed to the scene. The bora wind and the rapidly spreading fire made extinguishing and the firefighters' efforts even more difficult throughout the night. Thirty firefighters with seven fire engines were deployed, and after several hours of intense battling, the fire was contained by 6:00 AM. Firefighters remain on site, and we continue to monitor the situation," reported the Novalja Volunteer Fire Department to 023.hr.

Although the danger has passed, firefighting forces remain on the ground to prevent any potential flare-ups.

Simultaneous Fire Near Gorica Consumes 6,000 Square Meters

The nighttime fire drama was not limited to Pag. During the same period, a fire also broke out in the Gorica area, where the intervention also ended with successful containment in the early morning hours.

According to data from the Dubrovnik Fire Department, the fire devastated approximately 6,000 square meters in that area. The extinguishing effort involved 22 firefighters from the Dubrovnik Fire Department's Public Fire Brigade with seven vehicles, four firefighters from the Zaton Volunteer Fire Department, and the firefighting vessel Orlando.

As at Zrće, duty crews are monitoring the burned area today to prevent the fire from reigniting.