Firefighters caught in the flames near Omiš as coastal wildfires spread

Gripping video from the heart of the blaze shows towering flames consuming scrub and trees while firefighters operate almost inside the inferno, struggling against thick smoke and scorching temperatures that slowed suppression efforts.

The largest front burned through the area of Lokva Rogoznica near Omiš, where crews said the fire advanced rapidly across difficult terrain. The main firefighting line stretched roughly three kilometres in length and about one kilometre in width, and many sections were effectively impassable.

"I sent a firefighter to Omis to water the mountain top for a while. There is smoke near Omis, but there is no longer a risk of fire," Slavko Tucakovic said.

Other blazes along the coast

Firefighters were simultaneously battling fires in other parts of the Croatian coast. On Dugi Otok a large wildfire was brought under control with roughly 100 firefighters working from 17 vehicles; two additional firefighters joined the effort in the early morning hours.

Some of the crews that had been sent to Dugi Otok from the mainland returned to Zadar, while teams staying at the scene continued to water surrounding areas to reduce the chance of rekindling.

Overnight fires erupted across Zadar County in the Galovac, Prkos and Zemunik areas but were localized by early morning. At Ninski Stanovi a fire that extended for about four kilometres kept firefighters on duty through the night, and suppression and monitoring operations continued into the following day.

Photo: Printskrin/Jutub