On the night of 13–14 August 2026, a major wildfire affected the area of Lokva Rogoznica and Omiš on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast.
According to the Croatian Firefighting Association, authorities received the first report of the fire at 20:15 on 13 August in the Lokva Rogoznica area. The fire affected grass, low vegetation and pine forest and spread rapidly in strong winds, threatening buildings and residential areas.
The Croatian Firefighting Association later reported an estimated burned area of approximately 1,000 hectares, one fatality and 43 injuries. Approximately 2,500 people were evacuated and accommodated in reception centres.
Significant physical and financial damage
As authorities began assessing the consequences, the extent of the material damage became clearer.
Reported figures included 28 destroyed houses, 43 partially damaged houses, 106 destroyed vehicles and 45 vessels, alongside damage to other residential, commercial and auxiliary structures.
On 20 August, the City of Omiš reported a preliminary estimate of approximately €110 million in total damage. The city stressed that the figure was not final, as assessments were still underway and additional infrastructure and remediation costs were expected to be considered.
The Croatian Government subsequently approved €20 million from the state budget reserve to help mitigate and partially address the consequences of the fire.
What does this mean for insurers?
The Omiš disaster also illustrates a challenge that is becoming increasingly important for the insurance industry: understanding physical climate risk at the level of individual assets and portfolios.
In its recent coverage of the aftermath, HRT examined how losses from the fire could be covered by insurance and public support. The report highlighted an important distinction: insurance compensation depends on the terms of the policy and the actual loss, while government or local assistance represents a separate mechanism for supporting affected communities.
For insurers, however, the challenge begins well before a claim is filed.
Understanding wildfire exposure can help insurers answer practical questions such as:
- Which properties in a portfolio are exposed to wildfire risk?
- Which locations face the highest potential exposure?
- How could wildfire risk evolve under future climate conditions?
- How concentrated is wildfire exposure across a portfolio?
- Where should underwriting, pricing or risk mitigation receive additional attention?
Climate risk is becoming more granular
It is important not to attribute the Omiš fire itself directly to climate change without evidence establishing a causal link.
At the same time, the broader climate context is changing. The European Environment Agency reports that climate change has increased forest-fire risk across Europe and that longer fire seasons and an expansion of fire-prone areas are projected in many regions. Southern Europe is particularly exposed.
Recent Copernicus data also reported exceptionally hot and dry conditions in Europe during July 2026, noting that these conditions favoured the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires.
This distinction matters: a specific wildfire has a specific set of ignition and weather circumstances, while climate data can help us understand how the underlying risk environment is changing.
From climate data to insurance decisions
For insurers, this makes asset-level climate intelligence increasingly important.
Climatig helps translate climate data into actionable information at the asset and portfolio level, including wildfire and other physical climate hazards, so that insurers and risk managers can better understand where exposure is concentrated and how risk may evolve over time.
The Omiš fire is, above all, a human tragedy, and the immediate priority remains supporting the people and businesses affected.
But as communities recover, events like this also underline the importance of being better prepared for physical risks and of giving insurers the data they need to understand those risks before losses occur.
Sources:
Croatian Firefighting Association – Požar kod Lokve Rogoznice
Croatian Firefighting Association – Požari na priobalju
HRT – Omiš nakon požara: Koliko će štete pokriti država, a koliko osiguravatelji?
HRT – Šteta nakon velikog požara u Omišu procijenjena na 110 milijuna eura
Vlada Republike Hrvatske – Odobreno 20 milijuna eura za ublažavanje šteta od požara na području Omiša
European Environment Agency – Forest fires in Europe
Copernicus Climate Change Service – Exceptionally hot and dry conditions fuel wildfires in Europe