Thousands evacuated as wildfire spreads along Croatia's Adriatic coast near Omiš

A large wildfire that broke out near the Adriatic coastal town of Omiš in Croatia has rendered numerous homes unusable and prompted the evacuation of thousands of tourists and local residents by land and sea, local media reported. According to the Croatian daily Jutarnji List, the fire began on Thursday evening in the Lokva Rogoznica area and advanced toward Omiš overnight, reaching the Burak neighborhood on the upper edge of the town center at 01:45 local time. Strong winds that shifted direction several times fed the flames and complicated the work of fire crews, the report said, as the fire moved closer to additional residential buildings. Omiš Deputy Mayor Ivan Pivčević said many houses had burned down and other buildings remained at risk, describing the situation as "extremely difficult." Port authority boats evacuated people from affected areas by sea, while power was cut in parts of Omiš and traffic on the Adriatic coastal road was disrupted. No further details on casualties or containment efforts were immediately available.