SARAJEVO, Aug 14, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Croatian firefighters battled overnight with "one of the worst" wildfires in the country's history, authorities said Friday, as flames engulfed homes and injured 19 people on the coast.

Hundreds were forced to evacuate from villages near the town of Omis as the fire, which had begun in a settlement of Lokva Rogoznica, ripped through the surrounding hills.

"At this stage, nineteen people have been injured. Among them, some residents are seriously injured," the Croatian fire chief, Slavko Tucakovic, told national radio on Friday morning.

Several firefighters had also been injured as they tried to protect homes from flames driven by strong winds.

Nearly 300 firefighters were deployed overnight but were often outpaced by the blaze, according to Tucakovic, who described it as "one of the worst in Croatia's history".

"It was frightening even to watch. Many houses, cafes, restaurants, cars, and boats that were on dry land were damaged," he said.

Local media reported that several homes and cars had been destroyed overnight, with images of their burnt-out remains shared online.

Around 1,000 evacuees sheltered in a sports hall in Omis, the town's mayor, Zvonko Mocic, told the Net.hr outlet.

Several other shelters have been opened in nearby coastal towns of Split and Makarska, the Croatian Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement.

Four Canadair water bombers had been deployed in the morning to help bring the fire under control, the statement said.

Conditions appeared to be easing on Friday morning, with wind speeds forecast to fall over the weekend, according to Croatia's weather service.

Dozens of blazes were also burning in other parts of the Balkans as a heat wave brings soaring temperatures and worsens drought conditions.

Temperature records, already broken this summer, were again beaten earlier this week when nearby Split, about 30 kilometres north of Omis, hit 39.7C.

Earlier firefighters successfully contained a major blaze on the island of Brac, off the coast of Split.