August the 16th, 2026 – The night that Omiš will never forget was one marked by apocalyptic scenes and dramatic rescues from the sea.
An enormous fire that initially broke out in Lokva Rogoznica, driven by strong winds, spread rapidly towards Omiš. The fire threatened houses, reached the Adriatic Highway and forced residents and guests to flee into the sea to escape the flames. The testimonies of the people who found themselves facing the blaze show just how quickly the situation turned into a fight for survival.
“it all happened in a few seconds”
Dražen Ravlić was among the first to warn about the approaching fire. He said he noticed cars starting to turn back from the direction in which the fire was spreading. He immediately warned people at a nearby car park and called the firefighters.
“Everything happened very fast. I went ahead to the parking area and told people to move their cars,” he told Index. Together with a motorcyclist who happened to be there, he tried to help, but without equipment they could not do much. What remained in Ravlić’s memory were the sparks flying, carried by the wind. Afterwards he said he regretted that he could not do more.
Goran Lović, the owner of a cafe near the area where the fire first broke out, described how suddenly the blaze actually spread. “Everything went up in flames in a second,” he said. Lović believes the fire was started deliberately and handed surveillance camera footage over to the police. The cause of the fire has not yet been officially determined and this remains unconfirmed.
cars went up in flames and people fled into the sea for safety
When the fire reached the main road, the road was no longer a safe way out. Some people left their cars and headed towards the coast. Among them was Karla from Zagreb. At the moment of evacuation she was in a car, but the fire reached the road. “Cars started burning and then we went down towards the sea,” Karla said.
During the escape she fell and injured herself. With others she took shelter in a small cave by the sea, where they waited around two hours for rescuers. “Above us, the terrifying fire was blazing viciously,” she described. She managed to save only her documents, but says she is grateful to be alive. People fled into the sea or climbed onto boats they found along the shore. 194 people were rescued from the sea, mainly in the area from Nemira to Ruskamen. Intensive rescue operations lasted from after midnight until almost 03:00.
seasonal workers from mostar fled their apartment with barely anything
Two seasonal workers from Mostar said they fled their apartment with almost nothing. They spent the night in the car, waiting for the danger to pass and trying to find out what had happened to the place where they worked.
The café Mala Luka, where they worked, burned down completely. “We saw it approaching. I told her: “We’re not going to mess around.” We got into the car and left towards Omiš,” they said. Similar testimonies could be heard throughout the burned area. People described how in the dark they watered their yards, extinguished sparks carried by the wind and waited until the last moment before leaving their houses.
“when i saw there was no hope, i had to leave”
Marin Ozretić tried to defend his house as the fire came closer and closer. As the flames descended from the hill, he watered the pines and the area around the house, trying to stop the fire from spreading.
“I spent my entire life building this… When I saw there was no hope left for me, I just had to go,” he told Index. He described flames several metres high coming down from the hill. At the last moment he got into his car and left the area. He saved himself and the vehicle, but was unable to save his house.
Also at the fire site was Anđelko Kovačić, whose house in the old village, workshop and boats he was repairing all burned. Czech tourists who were staying in his apartment were left without a car and did not know how they would get home.
the morning light revealed the true scale of the unimaginable damage
Only when daylight came did the full extent of the fire become visible. Burned cars, destroyed buildings, blackened pines and large areas covered in ash remained. According to the latest information, 43 people sought medical help. Fourteen of them were kept in hospital, and eight were in life-threatening condition. During a search of the burned area, police also found the body of one person whose identity has not yet been released.
