August the 16th, 2026 – An Omiš resident described the horrendous fire that swept through the area leaving a trail of unimaginable destruction behind it as like “being in hell”.
Index reports that a resident of Čelina near Omiš, Karlo, spent the night defending his house from the fire that devastated his village. One house burned down completely, and at one point the residents were left without water, so they tried to fight the flames with shovels. Children were evacuated to Omiš, while help is arriving in the affected area from all over Croatia.
“it was like we were in hell”
“It cannot be described in words. We were surrounded by smoke and fire. We used water for as long as we could, but our water supply depends on electricity. When the power went out, the water was gone too. Even the firefighters ran out of water, and we continued with shovels. By some miracle we managed to save some of the houses,” Karlo told N1. He said that it was primarily ruins which were entirely burned down in the village. “A house burned here too, that is the worst image of the fire I have in my mind. I don’t even want to mention the body that was found, it’s just beyond a horror.”
“the fire arrived in just 45 minutes”
Karlo said he didn’t expect the fire to spread so quickly. “We watched the light approaching. The fire reached our village in 45 minutes. We poured water all over the houses and that saved us. The night was endless, we couldn’t sleep or eat,” he described. They moved the children to safety in Omiš, while the men stayed to defend the property. “My mother stayed – she isn’t afraid of anything – and she was also watering the house. A neighbour’s car burned in a covered garage.” He admits he was not afraid, but he was fully aware of the danger.
help from across croatia
In the meantime, volunteers from all over Croatia are arriving at the fire site. Among them is Mario from Petrinja, who came with his father and son bringing a donation. “I was sleeping when my wife called and asked if I would drive a donation. I agreed, and I didn’t even know why. Within a few hours we gathered, people were calling, I didn’t even know where I was going. I came with my father and son,” he said.
