After the Omiš fire: arrests, damage claims and new blazes

Update, 17 August: fire out, clean-up running

The Omiš fire has been declared extinguished and the town has moved from firefighting to clean-up. The blaze burned roughly a thousand hectares along a front of about 23 kilometres. One man died, 38 people were injured; the most severely burned patients were transferred to Split and Zagreb hospitals, several with burns over large parts of the body. On 16 August around 250 households were still without electricity while crews repaired the grid.

New fires kept crews busy elsewhere over the weekend: near Jović and Slivnica in the Zadar hinterland, on Dugi otok and on Brač, with Canadair aircraft in action again. The active warnings for the region are on our live status page.

Arrests near Benkovac, USKOK investigating

On Saturday evening police detained four people in the wider Benkovac area after a couple reported seeing them start a fire near Raštević and read the car's registration plate to the 112 line. Investigators are checking whether the group is connected to several fires around Zadar in recent days; the USKOK anti-corruption office has joined the case and, according to Croatian media, terrorism has not been ruled out. Reports about the identity of the four differ, so we are not repeating names or nationalities until officials confirm them. The presumption of innocence applies.

If your house or car was damaged: how claims work

The City of Omiš will open damage claims once the county formally declares a natural disaster; from that day, the deadline runs for 15 days. Claims go in on the official form via omis.hr. Useful documents: proof the building is legal (usage or building permit), photos of the damage before any repairs, the police report, receipts for repairs, and insurance policies. The city is also handing out PVC sheeting for damaged roofs (request via grad@omis.hr). This matters to foreign owners of holiday homes in the affected villages too, and the deadline is short.

The damage in numbers

Split-Dalmatia County prefect Blaženko Boban gave the tally to the Hina news agency on 16 August. It is the first complete picture of what the fire destroyed between Lokva Rogoznica and Omiš.

The coastal road is open

The Jadranska magistrala, the D8, was closed during the fire and reopened at 13:22 on 14 August. Fire service commander Slavko Tucaković asked drivers to take extra care on the Omiš to Lokva Rogoznica section while crews were still working. The Omiš bypass, the D553 towards Makarska, was also closed during the emergency and is back in service. The burn scar along the road is extensive and will be visible for years: that is what you drive through.

Fire rules for the rest of August

Fires spread fastest uphill and with the wind, which is why this one moved so far in a single night: steep slopes directly above the coastal settlements, dry pine and wind. The Croatian Fire Brigade Association has recorded more vegetation fires this summer than in 2025.

Numbers to have on your phone

Should you rebook?

There is no official advice against travel to Omiš or the Makarska Riviera. The fire is out, the D8 is open and the sea is unaffected: DHMZ coastal stations measured 24 to 29 degrees on 16 August. What has changed is the landscape and the mood in a few specific villages. If your booking is in Nemira, Stanići, Medići or Lokva Rogoznica, contact your host directly instead of relying on a booking platform's status page, because some properties were destroyed, others partially damaged, and roof repairs are actively under way. If you are staying in central Omiš, Makarska, Brela, Baška Voda or Tučepi, you are outside the burned area and the practical impact is limited to the drive.