Croatia: 'Monster' fire triggers evacuation on Brac island

Nearly 700 people were evacuated amid a wildfire on the Adriatic island of Brac, Croatian media outlets reported on Sunday, following a tense night which saw hundreds of firefighters defending homes and tourist accommodations from the approaching blaze.

The situation was especially dramatic near the small town of Milna on the island's western coast.

"Last night was a disaster. It was simply impossible," Milna Mayor Frane Lozic told Net.hr news outlet. "I would have not believed that [the fire] can wipe out everything in its path so quickly."

The fire was first reported on Thursday, but firefighting efforts were complicated by inaccessible terrain.

Even so, Lozic said that the authorities believed they had the situation in hand by Saturday.

"We thought we got it reined in yesterday, that it is all over, and then it happened: Sea wind starts blowing at 9 p.m. and out of nowhere, there is a monster," he said.

No deaths reported in blaze

Tourist ships joined the rescue efforts overnight, with many tourists spending the night at the beach, waiting to be evacuated.

No deaths were reported due to the blaze. However, one 76-year-old Croatian woman was hospitalized in critical condition, according to Index.hr news portal. The woman is believed to have fallen off a ship during the evacuation process. A 27-year-old man required medical aid for smoke inhalation and was then released.

Authorities estimated some 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) were affected by the fire, according to a report by the AFP news agency.

Officials confirmed some buildings were damaged, but said it was too early for a full damage assessment.

Firefighting planes active on the scene

As of Sunday morning, Croatian authorities said there were no more "open fires" but added teams were still in the field to prevent reignition. Four specialized firefighting planes are also operating in the area.

Two government ministers and the head of Croatia's national firefighting service are set to attend a high-level meeting on Brac this afternoon with local officials and leaders of the local firefighting teams, after which they are expected to provide more information about the blaze.

Edited by: Natalie Muller

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