A wildfire fanned by strong, shifting winds swept overnight from the village of Lokva Rogoznica into the Croatian coastal town of 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 broke out the previous evening in Lokva Rogoznica, south of Split, and spread rapidly along the Adriatic coast overnight, reaching the Borak neighbourhood on the edge of Omiš at around 1:45 a.m. local time and at one point coming within 50 metres of the town centre, according to Croatian state broadcaster HRT.

No fatalities have been reported. Split University Hospital Centre said 36 people had been treated for injuries, 14 of whom were hospitalised and seven of whom were in intensive care in a life-threatening condition. Most of those treated had suffered burns, while others sought medical attention for respiratory problems caused by smoke.

Slavko Tucaković, chief fire officer at the Split-Dalmatia County Fire Centre, described it as the worst wildfire of the summer. "The fire has reached the town of Omiš itself," he told Croatian Radio, adding that 286 firefighters and 93 vehicles were deployed at the scene by morning, reinforced by crews from Zadar, Šibenik-Knin and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties as well as from mainland Croatia. Some 157 firefighters and 44 engines had fought the blaze overnight before reinforcements arrived.

Four Canadair water-bombing aircraft took off at first light to join the firefighting effort, though part of the aerial fleet was later redirected to a separate fire that broke out on the Pelješac peninsula, Tucaković said.

The fire had burned an estimated 900 to 1,000 hectares by August 14 morning, Tucaković said, adding that the full extent of the damage to property had yet to be assessed. "Many houses, cars and boats were damaged. The damage will only be seen today," he said, noting that electricity poles had also been destroyed and roads left impassable in places.

Višeslav Pešić, commander of the Omiš volunteer fire brigade, described a night-long battle to defend the town house by house as the fire crossed the mountain above Omiš. "There was a fight for every house. The fire reached Omiš and 1,000 hectares burned," he said.

Evacuations were carried out by both land and sea, with harbour authority boats used to move people from areas cut off by the flames, Omiš Deputy Mayor Ivan Pivčević said, describing the situation as "extremely difficult."

Ana Stejskal, director of the Omiš Red Cross, said around 1,500 people were sheltering at a reception centre set up in the town's Ribnjak sports hall by Friday morning, down from more than 2,000 at midnight as some evacuees left the area or moved in with relatives. She said the Red Cross was prepared for further evacuations if needed.

Traffic on the Adriatic Highway was suspended in Lokva Rogoznica between Stanić and Medić, while the Omiš bypass toward Makarska was also closed, the Croatian Automobile Club (HAK) said. Parts of Omiš were left without electricity, HRT reported.

By morning, open flames were no longer visible and fire crews had moved into mop-up operations, though officials cautioned that strong winds continued to hamper efforts. An IntelliNews correspondent on the neighbouring island of Brač reported strong, warm winds carrying ash and thick smoke across the channel on August 14 morning, with the mainland completely obscured from view. Multiple Canadair water-bombing aircraft could also be heard circling overhead.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was due to visit the fire-hit area at 10 a.m. on August 14.

The Omiš fire is the latest in a string of major wildfires to have swept southern Europe in recent weeks, with Spain, France, Italy and Greece all battling devastating blazes amid exceptionally high temperatures and a lack of rainfall this summer.