Fire in Omiš: Who Will Warn Me?
Residents of the Omiš area criticize the lack of timely warnings during the massive fire, particularly highlighting the issues faced by deaf individuals, while Prime Minister Plenković defends the system's response.
Residents of the Omiš area criticize the lack of timely warnings during the massive fire, particularly highlighting the issues faced by deaf individuals, while Prime Minister Plenković defends the system's response.
A few days after the massive fire that ravaged the Omiš area, residents are seeking answers as to whether the warning system could have responded better. The deaf residents, who could not hear any audible warnings, endured a particularly difficult situation, and among those who lost everything is the family of a Homeland War volunteer from the old village of Stanići.
In the old village of Stanići, off the main roads, the fire completely destroyed the property of the Braić family. Branko Braić, a resident of Stanići and a Homeland War volunteer, recounted the dramatic moments of escape for Nova TV. "First, I took the kids away, came back for my wife, and the police wouldn't let me through. Then I broke through that barricade and saved her at the last moment. I was driving in reverse, hitting the walls. Too many emotions, too much sadness, a lifetime of work gone, everything I've done."
Braić sold his apartment in the city, and then he and his wife built a house with a loan. Of everything they built, only a few minutes remained. Five days after the fire, he still believes the situation could have been avoided if a warning had arrived on time. "We would have fled earlier. They just created chaos. A car couldn't get up there," he said.
"We have no help, and no one is coming. What will happen, I hope we won't be forgotten. I am a Homeland War volunteer, and if the state forgets us now, I don't know what's next," Braić said.
The issue of the importance of timely warnings is particularly highlighted by a deaf couple from Omiš. "We deaf people can't hear anything. If something happens at 12 at night while I'm sleeping, who will tell me, who will warn me? That's a big problem. But if there's a vibration or a flashing light on my phone that will alert me, that could save my life," said Miho Opačak from Omiš.
His wife, Lucija Opačak, recalled the moment she saw the fire and realized she had to leave the area. "When I saw the fire, I was so confused and scared. I have no information, I don't know what's going on. I only see police, hear sirens, see cars, and that I have to run quickly toward the sea. I saw many people and children streaming down, running excited and scared toward the sea. We got close to a boat, and some man just grabbed me and threw me into the boat to save me. I was so scared and confused because I'm deaf and don't know what's happening," she said.
Given everything they've been through, the explanations given in recent days about the lack of early warning are hard for them to accept. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković commented on the system's response: "Here, all citizens saw everything that was happening. As for the SRUUK, the situation was clearly fast in terms of wind and night."
Residents, however, believe that an earlier warning would have allowed them to evacuate in time and have more time to escape. All relevant services are still present on the ground, and in the coming days, residential containers are expected for those who lost their homes.
A similar fire situation is also being recorded in Greece. According to Anadolu Agency, fires broke out on the Greek island of Corfu and in several parts of the mainland. An urgent warning was issued for the affected area, calling on citizens to be prepared for potential evacuation.
