Croatia on fire

Novi Vinodolski 

A firefighter has lost his life as hundreds of firefighters were called into action as fires raged all over Croatia on Monday, with the most serious fire causing locals and tourists to flee in panic in the coastal towns of Selce and Novi Vinodolski in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The 45-year-old firefighter died while putting out a fire near Moscenicka Draga on the Istria peninsula. The situation was serious in Selce as more than 1500 visitors had to be evacuated from the Selce autocamp and nearby Club Adriatica. "The situation is very serious, everyone is trying their best. Houses are in danger, and some have already been victim to the fires," said Slavko Gaus from the county fire department. Thick smoke forced the closure of the D8 road, and also the Adriactic highway, reported daily newspaper 24sata. Fires were also burning on the islands of Rab and Mljet and near Pula in the northern Adriatic and Sibenik in Dalmatia.via