July the 18th, 2022 - The devastating Sibenik fires which have burned down houses recently have worked to remind us of the dangers of the dry Dalmatian landscape and the extremely harsh rays of the summer sun at this time of year. 

While wildfires break out in Croatia, particularly in Dalmatia, at this time of year almost like clockwork, the human cost is always staggering and unfathomable. To lose your house in a blaze and be able to do absolutely nothing about it is incomprehensible to most people, but a rapid response to this has seen families who have lost their homes to the most recent Sibenik fires get mobile homes to move into.

As Morski writes, during the night, prefabricated houses arrived in Zaton and Raslina, two heavily affected areas of the most recent Sibenik fires, for the families who lost their homes to move into. The move currently involves two families, one from Raslina and one from Zaton, and as Boris Dukic, president of the Zaton Local Board, said, one family should be moving into the house today.

''We've now taken the first step, the prefab houses arrived during the night, their connection to the electricity and water supply will follow, and then we'll move on. A family from Zaton, a husband and wife, should move into the house today. People are coming forward and offering us help, and the next step is to take care of these families, to build them a proper, permanent home. Everyone has really got involved and I believe and hope that everything will be resolved in the shortest possible time,'' said Dukic.

A family consisting of a mother with several children was also left without a roof over their heads in Raslina owing to the tragic Sibenik fires, and they should enter their temporary house on Tuesday or Wednesday this week at the very latest.

''We still have to level the ground and everything should be ready by the middle of the week at the latest. As for the renovation of their home, I believe that they'll be able to welcome the winter in a brand new one, because people got involved right away, offering help, we've already solved the installations and the renovation of the roof, which is fifty percent of the work,'' said Marko Lokas, the president of MO Raslina, reports local portal SibenikIN.

On Saturday, a meeting of the Zaton Local Board was held with the heads of the County and City crisis headquarters, Darko Dukic and Danijela Mileta, and with the fire chiefs, where steps were agreed on to report damage to residential and commercial buildings, as well as to agricultural crops after declaring a state of natural disaster following the Sibenik fires.

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July 14, 2022 - The latest on the fires in Vodice, Zaton, and Sibenik, which broke out on Wednesday, July 13. 

A large fire broke out on Wednesday in the hinterland of Sibenik, and during the afternoon, the fire spread to Zaton and Raslina. Residents of Zaton and Raslina had to leave their homes, and some were evacuated by boat. During the evening, some residents returned home. About 20 houses burned down, and the fire also destroyed several cars. 

Two Canadairs have been in action since the early morning. The fire chief reported that the fire is under control, reports Jutarnji List.

08:10 am - Darko Dukić, commander of the Šibenik-Knin County Fire Brigade, told HRT that the situation is under control but that the moment when he will be able to say that the fire is localized is far away.

"Be careful; the fire covered 3,300 hectares; that's a huge area. In addition, there is a lot of pine forest in the area towards Vodice, and if the fire had engulfed that area, the fire would have reached Tribunj," said Dukić.

07:45 am - The Croatian Fire Association announced on Thursday morning that more than 300 firefighters fought the fire near Zaton and Raslina during the night from Wednesday to Thursday.

"On Thursday around 2:00 am, firefighters partially managed to bring the fire under control. On Thursday morning, there is no uncontrolled fire spread and large fronts. The fire is surrounded," said the Croatian Fire Association (HVZ).

"Since 6:00 am, two Canadairs have been used. Tonight, 350 firefighters, 50 soldiers, 54 police officers, and many citizens were involved. One hundred eighteen firefighters with 40 firefighters came from the interior," said chief fire commander Slavko Tucaković and added that extraordinary deployments were engaged from Split-Dalmatia, Lika-Senj, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Karlovac, Zagreb, and Zadar counties, and Koprivnica-Križevac county is coming.

There was no evacuation order tonight, the residents defended their houses, and we thank them. There was significant material damage to homes and olive groves, but luckily no one was injured. It is estimated that around 3,000 hectares were burned," added Tucaković.

HVZ states that firefighters and other forces remain at the fire site until further notice.

07:30 am - Minister Davor Božinović also visited the fire this morning. He pointed out that the situation is better than yesterday:

"Morning in Zaton and Raslina. A better situation, no large fire fronts, and uncontrolled expansion towards Vodice. More favorable weather conditions. Around 350 firefighters from Šibenik and six other counties worked all night, with the support of many citizens, soldiers in the Raslina area, and 75 police officers to secure the fire and traffic. Thanks, everyone," announced Bozinović.

07:02 am - Due to the fire in the Šibenik area, the DC8 is closed to all traffic; the state road DC27 from the intersection with the Adriatic highway (DC8) to Gaćelezi and the county road Vodice-Gaćelezi (ŽC6086), the Croatian Auto Club (HAK) reported on Thursday morning.

06:50 am - Slavko Tucaković, chief fire chief, appeared on the show 'Good Morning Croatia' and explained what happened during the night near Šibenik.

"Fortunately, the night was less fiery. The key moment happened around 2 am when the wind stopped, and there is currently no uncontrolled fire spread, as we surrounded the fire from all sides. Two Canadairs also took off this morning," Tucaković said, confirming that the situation was challenging yesterday.

"It was a firestorm. Material damage is excellent, about 20 houses were damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties; several firefighters were slightly injured, one fell into a well. We all have to move on together; the damage was great... But, everyone came to help."

04:45 am - On early Thursday morning, the Sibenik area is still burning, and the firefighters are processing the peripheral part of the fire area next to the buildings in the towns of Raslina and Zaton. That work awaits them all night, said the deputy commander of the Public Fire Department of the city of Šibenik. 

The county commander of the Sibenik-Knin Fire Brigade, Darko Dukić, told Croatian Radio at 2:00 am on Thursday that the situation in the area of Zaton and Raslina had calmed down and that the fire was open in the direction of Vodice.

"The situation in the area of Zaton and Raslina has calmed down. However, we have an open fire in the direction of Vodice towards the Adriatic highway, which is closed to all traffic. All the fire brigades are deployed in that part, and we are stopping the spread of the fire towards the highway and further towards the houses in Vodice and the area of Srima. In the last few hours, the work has been done successfully in that part, the wind has stopped somewhat, and we will see how the situation will develop further. Colleagues from Zadar County, Lika-Senj, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar have joined us, and Karlovac County is joining us very soon," said Dukić.

The commander of the Šibenik fire brigade, Volimir Milošević, presented the situation on the ground in the early hours of Thursday.

"I will go by places: In Raslina, the situation is much better. The fire is not localized but is no longer so active that it endangers buildings. In Zaton, the situation is somewhat better. However, a large area around these places needs to be rehabilitated. We cannot consider it localized until the firefighters pass by on foot. The problem is that the fire in Zaton is moving along the hills in the direction of Vodice, that is, Srima, and the Jadranska magistrala, and this is what the firefighters are doing most now - they are preventing the fire from crossing the Jadranska magistrala, or Benkovac road. The buildings are less threatened at the moment, but the fire is quite large. The forces we receive from neighboring counties and other parts are on their way, and some larger ones have arrived. Tired firefighters will be at least partially replaced," said Milošević.

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