Firefighters in Zagreb Extinguish 659th Fire of the Year
On the same day, Karlovac firefighters responded to a fire at the Ilovac landfill, quickly bringing it under control, with the cause still to be determined.
On the same day, Karlovac firefighters responded to a fire at the Ilovac landfill, quickly bringing it under control, with the cause still to be determined.
Thick smoke that hung over part of Zagreb on Saturday, August 1, 2026, alarmed numerous citizens. As reported by the Zagreb Fire Brigade, the cause was a fire near Ilica Street, and due to intense burning, a large amount of smoke quickly formed, visible from several parts of the city.
Zagreb firefighters also shared an interesting yet concerning statistic. Today's intervention was already their 659th fire since the beginning of 2026. "Fire number 659 in 2026 is today's fire near Ilica, which, due to intense burning, caused a large amount of thick smoke visible from several parts of the city," the Zagreb Fire Brigade stated via Zagreb.info.
Along with information about the fire, they also posted a video of the intervention on social media. It shows firefighters equipped with protective gear and breathing apparatus extinguishing the flames in a completely smoke-filled area.
On the same day, in the late afternoon hours, thick smoke also alarmed residents in the vicinity of Karlovac. As reported by Kaportal, it was a fire at the Ilovac landfill. A swift response by Karlovac firefighters prevented major damage, and the fire was quickly brought under control.
The director of Čistoća, Vlatko Ivka, announced that excavators would soon begin turning over the terrain to ensure the fire was not smoldering deep below. There is currently no suspicion of arson, and whether the cause will be determined as negligence or the heatwave that prevailed that day will be revealed by the investigation.
Although firefighters continuously measured oxygen levels on site and all parameters were normal, the smoke continued to spread. As Kaportal reports, it spread toward the Hrnetić and Pokupje areas, so residents of those settlements were advised to close their windows.
This event also serves as a warning for the coming days, as the weather forecast predicts even higher temperatures that will not drop significantly even during the night.
