Croatia wildfire injures 19 and forces evacuations

A wildfire on Croatia's coast injured 19 people and forced hundreds to evacuate from villages near the town of Omis, authorities said Friday.

The fire began in the settlement of Lokva Rogoznica and spread through surrounding hills overnight, driven by strong winds. Croatian fire chief Slavko Tucakovic told national radio that some residents were seriously injured and that several firefighters were also hurt while trying to protect homes.

Nearly 300 firefighters were deployed overnight. Tucakovic described the blaze as "one of the worst in Croatia's history" and said many houses, cafes, restaurants, cars and boats on dry land were damaged.

Local media reported that several homes and cars were destroyed overnight. Around 1,000 evacuees sheltered in a sports hall in Omis, Mayor Zvonko Mocic told Net.hr. The Croatian Fire and Rescue Service said other shelters had opened in the nearby coastal towns of Split and Makarska.

Four Canadair water bombers were deployed on Friday morning to help bring the fire under control. Conditions appeared to be easing, with Croatia's weather service forecasting lower wind speeds over the weekend.

Dozens of other blazes were burning in the Balkans during a heat wave that has worsened drought conditions. Nearby Split, about 30 kilometres north of Omis, reached 39.7C earlier this week, breaking a temperature record. Firefighters had earlier contained a major blaze on the island of Brac, off the coast of Split.