Makarska Riviera Firefighters Mobilized
The launch of at least four signal flares in Podgora mobilized all firefighting forces from Brela to Gradac, with the incident occurring amid major wildfires that have hit Dalmatia in recent days.
The launch of at least four signal flares in Podgora mobilized all firefighting forces from Brela to Gradac, with the incident occurring amid major wildfires that have hit Dalmatia in recent days.
Firefighting units across the entire Makarska Riviera were mobilized on Saturday evening after at least four signal flares were launched in Podgora. Reports and photos of the launches reached firefighters, and sirens echoed through Makarska and surrounding towns as crews sprang into action.
All volunteer fire departments from Brela to Gradac, as well as the Makarska Public Fire Brigade (JVP), were activated due to the signal flare launches in Podgora. Mario Čović, commander of JVP Makarska, confirmed that all firefighters on the Makarska Riviera are now on the highest state of alert.
"All firefighters of the Makarska Riviera are now activated because we are truly on the highest state of alert and are searching all forests," Čović told 24sata.
According to initial information reported by Index.hr, the flares may have been launched from the sea, and firefighters responded due to the risk of fire breaking out. According to unofficial information, firefighters received no prior notice of the flare launches. Those familiar with firefighting operations describe this as highly irresponsible behavior, especially given the major wildfires that have ravaged Dalmatia in recent days, including in Omiš.
There is currently no official information about who launched the flares or the reason behind it. Although it cannot yet be said with certainty that this was a deliberate act of arson, launching several flares while the fire risk is high has caused great concern among firefighters.
The flare incident occurred on the same day a new fire broke out in Zadar County near Jovići and Slivnica. The fire was reported at 2:15 PM, and 50 firefighters with 17 vehicles participated in extinguishing it. Two Air Tractors and one Canadair provided aerial support. Firefighters managed to protect homes, and the Croatian Firefighting Community reported at 6 PM that the fire was under control, though it has not yet been declared contained.
Chief Firefighting Commander Slavko Tucaković stated that the rehabilitation of the fire site continues with the assistance of two Air Tractors and that firefighters will remain on duty there throughout the night.
On the same day, the police announced that they had arrested four individuals in the wider Benkovac area in connection with causing fires. The arrests came after about ten fires broke out in a short period in the Zadar area. The anti-corruption agency USKOK has also joined the investigation, checking for possible suspicion of terrorism.
On Čiovo, police arrested a man suspected of starting a fire in the Saldun area. According to information so far, at the time he used a lighter to ignite dry grass and styrofoam next to wooden pallets while returning from a night out, he had 1.08 grams per kilogram of alcohol in his blood.
All of this comes just a few days after a catastrophic fire broke out near Lokva Rogoznica and spread toward Omiš. The fire engulfed homes, cars, and other structures, and the body of one deceased person was found in the burned area. Thirty-six people injured in the fire were treated at Split's hospital, with 14 of them admitted for treatment. The most seriously injured patients were transferred to Zagreb for further treatment.
