Brač Wildfire Evacuation
Rapidly spreading wildfire on Croatia's Brač island forces hundreds to evacuate by sea
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Milna Mayor Frane Lozic described the fire’s rapid escalation after evening winds shifted: “We thought we got it reined in yesterday ... and then it happened: Sea wind starts blowing at 9 p.m. and out of nowhere, there is a monster.”
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The fire had first been reported on Thursday, and firefighting efforts were complicated by the island’s inaccessible terrain, according to Croatian media reports.
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The maritime evacuation involved a broad network of vessels, including four harbour-master rescue boats, Croatian Coast Guard vessels, police boats, tugboats, pilot boats, mountain-rescue boats and tourist and private vessels. Medical personnel were also placed aboard rescue boats to provide assistance if needed.
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The 76-year-old woman who was hospitalized in critical condition was believed to have fallen from a ship during the evacuation, while a 27-year-old man treated for smoke inhalation was later released.
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The blaze came amid a wider severe wildfire season in Croatia: an August fire near the coastal town of Omiš killed three people, one of the country’s deadliest wildfire incidents in recent years.
A rapidly spreading wildfire on Croatia's island of Brač forced the evacuation of up to 700 people overnight, including tourists, children, and elderly residents. CTV News reports that strong evening winds shifted the fire's path toward the coastal town of Milna, turning a contained blaze into what the mayor called "a monster" that consumed about 3,500 hectares of pine forest and scrubland.
By Sunday morning, authorities said the fire was contained with no remaining open flames, though more than 220 firefighters, four water-bombing aircraft, and 69 vehicles remained deployed. Croatia Week reported that the maritime evacuation involved rescue boats, coast guard vessels, police craft, tugboats, and tourist ships. At least two people were injured, including a 76-year-old woman in critical condition believed to have fallen from a ship.
Sea Wind Turns Contained Fire Into Emergency
Firefighters thought they had the wildfire under control on Saturday. Then at 9 p.m., the conditions shifted. Mayor Frane Lozic explained: "We thought we got it reined in yesterday ... and then it happened: Sea wind starts blowing at 9 p.m. and out of nowhere, there is a monster." The fire first started on Thursday, but the evening winds rapidly accelerated the flames toward homes and tourist facilities.
Largest Maritime Rescue Operation Deployed Overnight
With terrain on the island too rough for ground evacuation alone, authorities turned to the sea. CTV News reports that rescue coordinators deployed four harbour-master rescue boats, Croatian Coast Guard vessels, police boats, tugboats, pilot boats, mountain-rescue boats, and around 500 people were transported on tourist vessels. Medical personnel were stationed on rescue boats to assist evacuees during the operation.
The evacuation transported roughly 700 people total from immediate danger. Authorities managed to move residents and tourists from Milna and nearby coastal bays without significant chaos, though the operation highlighted how quickly a wildfire can threaten a tourism-dependent economy and its infrastructure.
Two Injured During Evacuations and Fire Response
A 76-year-old woman was hospitalized in critical condition after falling from a ship during the evacuation. A 27-year-old man was treated for smoke inhalation but later released. CTV News reports no deaths were recorded, though several buildings sustained damage from the advancing flames across the 3,500-hectare burn zone—an area roughly two-thirds the size of Manhattan.
Part of Croatia's Severe Wildfire Season
The Brač fire arrives amid an unusually hot, dry Croatian summer that has fueled increasingly frequent and intense wildfires. Just weeks earlier, an August wildfire near the coastal town of Omiš killed three people, making it one of Croatia's deadliest wildfire incidents in recent years. Climate scientists link these worsening conditions to warming temperatures and prolonged drought patterns.
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