Several fires burned along the Dalmatian coast this month. Croatian police are investigating suspected arson in the Zadar area. Here is what travellers should watch, and where the official information comes from.
Checked: 16 August 2026
August is the peak of the Croatian fire season. Several fires burned in Dalmatia this month, among them the fire near Omiš that was brought under control on 15 August. According to media reports, Croatian police have detained suspects in connection with fires in the Zadar area, and the investigation is ongoing.
What this means for your trip
Fires close roads at short notice, and smoke can shut a coastal stretch for a day even when the fire itself is inland. Nothing on this page replaces the official line: the fire brigade and the police publish what is actually burning, and the automobile club publishes which roads are affected right now.
- Emergency number in Croatia: 112, from any phone, in several languages.
- Do not drive towards smoke to look. Firefighting aircraft need the road clear.
- Open fire, barbecues outside marked places and cigarette ends in dry grass are the usual causes.
