As Dalmatia burned on July 17, 2017, the Facebook Safety Check function was activated for the first time in Croatia, providing a useful focus point for a community wanting to help the victims of the wildfires around Split.
Heartbreaking times in Dalmatia, as a number of wildfires have been burning along the coastline. TCN's live updates through the night will give an indication on how the tragedy unfolded, and we will continue our coverage today.
One of the more surprising aspects of the tragedy was Facebook's decision to turn on its Facebook Safety Check service, a service which is more commonly associated with being used in the aftermath of terrorist attacks, was activated for the first time in Croatia.
I must admit that I was a little surprised, as although one person had tragically died, on the global scale of terror attacks and disasters, the human loss of life was relatively small. Curious, I clicked to the page to find an aspect I did not know much about with the service, and one which local people have responded to.
A community page, where people can not only mark themselves as safe, but also offer what assistance they can, from food and accommodation to helping in other ways. It is just one example of the commendable community response to the tragedy, aspects of which we will be covering throughout the day. Visit the Facebook Safety Check here, and find below the information about the fires posted on the page:
"Media sources indicate that firefighters continue to battle a series of wildfires that have burned 11,119 acres across Split-Dalmatia County. Several fires merged into one large fire, which was moving towards the city of Split, but has since been brought under control. Remnants of the fire are reportedly burning near Mejaši, but are expected to soon be contained. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has stated that he will consider inviting assistance from other European governments if necessary. Croatian soldiers are also assisting firefighters with operations. Both the Mall of Split and City Center One were previously evacuated due to heavy smoke in the area. Power outages were reported in the Brda and Ravne Njive areas of Split."
