Croatian firefighters continued battling wildfires on the Adriatic coast at the weekend, with authorities saying conditions had improved somewhat on the Pelješac peninsula while assessing damage from a separate blaze near the coastal town of Omiš that killed at least one person.

Croatia is among several southern European countries facing severe wildfires this summer as hot, dry conditions and strong winds fuel fires and put pressure on emergency services.

A wildfire fanned by strong, shifting winds swept from the village of Lokva Rogoznica into Omiš, a popular summer tourist destination in the southern Dalmatia region, destroying houses, cars and boats, injuring at least 36 people and forcing the evacuation of roughly 1,000 residents and tourists, local officials said on August 14. The blaze came within 50 metres of the town centre, according to Croatian state broadcaster HRT.

The fire near Kuna Pelješka on the southern side of Pelješac broke out on the morning of August 14 and spread rapidly in strong winds, threatening vineyards, homes and holiday cottages.

Deputy Prime Minister Branko Bačić said all available firefighting forces had been deployed to the area, where steep terrain was making efforts particularly difficult, a government statement said.

"This is an extremely sensitive location, given the difficult and steep terrain," Bačić said, expressing hope that firefighters would be able to protect part of the peninsula's vineyards and a significant number of homes and cottages.

Fire chief Slavko Tucaković said the situation on Pelješac had become "somewhat more favourable", with additional crews arriving from several counties and Zagreb. Some firefighters from Omiš, where they were no longer required in such numbers, had also been redirected to Pelješac.

Four fire engines remained engaged in extinguishing the blaze, while officials said buildings were being defended and there was no immediate need for evacuation.

"The fire is active, and the situation is being made worse by strong winds. The buildings are defended for now, and there is no need for evacuation at the moment," said Stjepan Simović, fire chief for Dubrovnik-Neretva county.

The authorities were also dealing with the aftermath of the much more destructive fire around Omiš and nearby Lokva Rogoznica, which spread through coastal settlements overnight, forcing about 1,200 residents and tourists to evacuate. At least one person died and around 40 people were injured, according to officials.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited Omiš and praised firefighters and other emergency services involved in containing the blaze and assisting residents.

"They were so selfless. What they managed to do is a real miracle," Plenković said, according to a government statement.

He said no further human casualties had been confirmed at the time and that all injured people were receiving medical care. Zagreb hospitals were ready to accept patients if medical capacity in Split became insufficient.

The government also promised financial assistance to affected residents and local authorities once the damage had been assessed.

"We will provide appropriate financial support to normalize things and to repair this major damage, which is already visible in the footage," Plenković said.

Officials have faced questions over why Croatia's emergency warning system was not used to alert residents and tourists in the affected area. Plenković said the fire had spread exceptionally quickly in strong winds and had broken out at night.

Croatia has invested nearly €800mn in firefighting and wider homeland security capabilities over the past decade, Plenković said. He added that military firefighting aircraft, including Canadair water bombers and Air Tractors, were available during this year's fire season.