Croatian Red Cross teams deployed 50 volunteers to assist those threatened by forest fires on the Adriatic coast. Volunteers supported the firefighting response by distributing food and water.
The forest fires started on the coastal area on Sunday 16 July 2017, and spread quickly due to strong winds and dry weather. In Croatia, several villages around Split in Dalmatia were threatened by the fire, and many houses were left without gas and electricity. One person was killed in the fire and more than 3,500 square meters of forest area were destroyed.
Around 50 volunteers and staff from the Croatian Red Cross were deployed to the worst affected areas and worked in shifts to support firefighters and locals in danger. The teams established an accommodation center in Split to provide temporary shelter for a dozen people and a psychosocial support point in the most affected settlement of Zrnovica.
This story is published as part of the campaign for International Volunteer Day 2017: Volunteers Act First. Here. Everywhere.