The weather conditions throughout the year, which included a prolonged dry period and high temperatures, contributed to an increased risk of fires across Croatia compared to previous years. In 2024, there were three prolonged heatwaves in the continental part of the country and four on the coast, HVZ said.
They also pointed out that 33% of the firefighter interventions were related to wildfires, with the rest being technical interventions, such as traffic accidents, rescue operations, and recovery after floods and weather-related events.
According to the data from the National Firefighting Operations Centre, 6,650 fires were recorded last year, including 3,825 vegetation fires, and the total burned area amounted to 26,807 hectares.
Compared to 2023, there was a 21% increase in wildfires, with a 29% rise in vegetation fires, and the burned area increased by 411%.
Croatian firefighting aircraft also took part in two international missions last year – in North Macedonia in July and in Greece in October.
In 2024, there were 35,326 firefighter interventions, including 11,605 fire-related interventions.
There were fewer fires in buildings this year, the number of fatalities in fires decreased by 24%, and the number of injuries dropped by 5%. However, the number of firefighters injured in fires rose from 166 in 2023 to 175 this year.
Chief Fire Officer Slavko Tucaković emphasised that all interventions were completed in a short time, with no fatalities and minimal material damage, thanks to the prompt response of the firefighting units, as evident during the summer months when firefighters from 14 counties were immediately deployed to the coast.