September the 14th, 2026 – One Brač resident has spoken out about the fire that has so far burned an area larger than Rijeka on the island, claiming to never have experienced anything like it in his life.
Zorislav Bonačić Sargo, a local chronicler of Milna and the western part of the island of Brač, and the first mayor of the Municipality of Milna, says he does not remember a fire like this. “I’m 80 years old, and I’ve never experienced anything like this. So this situation with a fire site like this, which has already been going on for several days, is difficult. The changes in the wind that happened during the night, that was unprecedented,” he said for Croatian Radio.
Index reports that Zorislav Bonačić Sargo has long been a well-known name in Milna. He is also known as a chronicler of local history and heritage; he has published a book dedicated to Milna, its dialect, maritime and shipbuilding tradition, and the everyday life of the place. Damjan Tomašić, owner of apartments in Osibova Bay, added that the firefighters did an outstanding job. “The biggest problem of all is the disorder in the state, where people should by law be cleaning their plots. That’s why this is happening to us,” he said.
hundreds evacuated by sea
As a reminder, the fire on Brač broke out in the area of Ložišća on Thursday and over the past few days repeatedly spread under the influence of strong winds. Last night was particularly difficult, when the fire approached houses and bays in the Milna area, including Duboka, Lučice and Osibova. Some residents and tourists were then moved to safer locations. People were also evacuated by sea, with the help of boats from the Harbour Master’s Office, maritime police, Coast Guard, Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS), tourist boats and private vessels. Some people were accommodated in Milna and other reception locations.
During the worst night, firefighters defended buildings and stopped the spread of the fire toward inhabited areas. Hundreds of firefighters with dozens of vehicles were on the ground, assisted by Canadair water bombers and other firefighting aircraft. Canadairs have remained present because of open flames, but the situation is calmer.
