Wildfire descends on Croatian tourist town, injures at least 19

Aug 14 - A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis on Friday, forcing hundreds to evacuate and threatening homes and vehicles, local media reported.

Flames enveloped settlements and trees and turned the night sky red above Omis, a scenic town on Croatia's prized Dalmatian coast surrounded by trees and rocky hills.

Around 19 people have been treated by ambulance services, N1 reported. Two with serious injuries were transferred to a hospital in the city of Split, about 25 km (15.5 miles) to the north, regional governor Blazenko Boban said.

"We have had an extremely difficult night, we have a complicated situation in the area from Lokva Rogoznica to Omis," Chief Fire Commander Slavko Tucaković told local outlets.

A total of 157 firefighters and 44 fire vehicles battled the blaze through the night, while additional reinforcements from several Croatian counties were deployed to the area. A stretch of a major coastal highway in the area was shut.

The town opened its sports hall as an emergency shelter, where around 1,000 people were accommodated overnight.

A navy boat was in place to offer evacuations by sea, local media said.

Hot weather and drought that scientists link to climate change have created ideal conditions for wildfires across Europe this summer, especially in France, Spain and Greece. The Balkans has also endured several heatwaves. REUTERS