Wildfire destroys homes, forces evacuations near Croatia's Omis

A major wildfire spreading near the Croatian coastal town of Omis destroyed numerous homes early Friday and forced residents and tourists to evacuate, local media reported.

The Croatian daily Jutarnji List reported that the fire, which broke out Thursday evening in Lokva Rogoznica, continued spreading toward Omis overnight, reaching the Borak neighborhood above the city center at around 1.45 am (2345GMT Thursday).

Strong winds that repeatedly changed direction fueled the flames and complicated firefighting efforts, with the blaze approaching additional homes.

Omis Deputy Mayor Ivan Pivcevic said numerous houses had burned and more buildings remained threatened, describing the situation as "extremely difficult."

Evacuations were carried out by land and sea, with harbor authority boats transporting people from areas threatened by the fire.

Part of Omis also lost electricity, while traffic on the Adriatic coastal road was disrupted.