Six people escaped a burning yacht unharmed; the vessel, around 20 metres long, later sank in the Trogir Channel. At the same time, firefighters and water-bombing aircraft battled a vegetation fire on Sveti Klement.
Two fires at the same time – but not connected
On August 24, 2026, emergency services in Split-Dalmatia County were dealing with two striking fires. A yacht burned off Čiovo and later sank. Vegetation burned on Sveti Klement in the Pakleni otoci archipelago. Their proximity and the shared date do not make them one incident.
Keeping them separate is important when assessing what happened. The yacht fire involved rescue, an attempt to tow the vessel, its sinking and protection of the sea. On Sveti Klement, the priorities were fighting a forest and vegetation fire and protecting buildings. No confirmed causal link was reported.
All six people were able to leave the yacht
The yacht, around 20 metres long, caught fire at about midday in Saldun Bay near Čiovo. According to information published by HRT, all six people on board – including the crew – left the vessel in time. No injuries were reported.
That is the most important confirmed outcome of the emergency at sea. Videos and dramatic images of smoke reveal little about exactly how the evacuation unfolded. What is established is that lives were saved before the operation focused on the burning vessel and protecting the surrounding area.
Why the burning vessel was moved away from shore
The yacht was close to dense pine vegetation. Emergency crews therefore moved it farther from shore to prevent the fire spreading to the coast. This was not a recovery operation intended to secure the vessel permanently, but an immediate measure to remove a danger under difficult conditions.
During the tow, or as the operation continued, the burned-out vessel sank in the Trogir Channel. HRT gives the position as roughly one nautical mile from shore and the depth as 31.5 metres. At that depth, the wreck is not expected to pose an immediate danger to navigation.
August 24, 2026 · two separate incidents
Čiovo is not Sveti Klement
Recovery and pollution control begin only after the fire is out
The case did not end when the yacht sank. Marine protection services collected floating debris and continued monitoring the area. According to the commander of the Trogir fire brigade, quoted by Morski.hr, a small amount of fuel and lubricant pollution was detected, containment barriers were deployed and clean-up work began.
The exact quantity of pollutants had not been officially stated by the editorial deadline. Equally important, a visible film on the water is neither proof of a major environmental disaster nor a reason to declare the situation harmless. Continued monitoring, containment and professional recovery of the wreck are what matter.
The owner is to submit a recovery plan
Harbourmaster Željko Kuštera told HRT that the owner would be required to recover the vessel. An authorised company must prepare a plan. The depth and position, remaining fuel and condition of the hull will determine how the yacht can be raised and removed.
No date has yet been published. Until there is an approved plan and the work is carried out, any statement about duration or cost remains speculation. The wreck lies deep enough not to obstruct normal navigation, but it remains relevant to environmental monitoring and the owner’s obligations.
The cause of the fire has not been officially established
In his HRT interview, Kuštera named the engine room as the probable starting point of the yacht fire. That is a professional initial assessment, not a completed investigation into the cause. The police and other competent bodies must examine the circumstances insofar as the condition of the sunken vessel allows.
Golden Beach therefore describes neither a technical defect nor human error as a proven cause. It is confirmed that the yacht burned, was evacuated and sank. Why the fire started remains open until a reliable investigation is completed.
Four Canadairs were deployed on Sveti Klement
At the same time, Hvar firefighters reported a vegetation fire in the Vlaka Bay area of Sveti Klement at around 11:35 a.m. According to HRT, thirty firefighters with equipment were taken to the island aboard two vessels operated by the harbour authority and the nautical centre. Four Canadair water-bombing aircraft supported them from the air.
The fire was under control by around 2 p.m.; damping-down and monitoring continued. Buildings were protected. Later reports put the affected area at about 70 hectares. A claim circulating in the media that a tractor caused the fire had not been officially confirmed by the editorial deadline and is therefore not presented as fact.
What travellers and skippers need to know now
Neither the position of the sunken wreck nor the controlled island fire amounts to a general closure of the Dalmatian islands. Skippers must nevertheless follow instructions from the harbour authority and emergency vessels, keep clear of work sites and report any fresh pollution or smoke immediately.
For visitors to Sveti Klement, only current local notices determine which paths and landing points are open. Burned areas remain dangerous even after visible flames are out because hot spots, damaged trees and emergency traffic may persist. Call 112 in an emergency.
Evidence
Sources & date
Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.
- Fire breaks out on the Pakleni Islands; yacht also burns off ČiovoHRT · August 24, 2026, updated 7:12 p.m.Yacht fire, six rescued people, sinking, depth, initial assessment, pollution control and planned recovery
- Firefighters tackle fires in several countiesHRT / Croatian Firefighting Association · August 24, 2026, 7:31 p.m.Sveti Klement: alarm time, 30 firefighters, two transport vessels, four Canadairs, control and damping down
- Twenty-metre yacht that burned off Čiovo sinksMorski.hr – information from the commander of JVP Trogir · August 24, 2026, checked August 24, 2026Deployment, minor pollution, barriers and clean-up begun; secondary source quoting emergency-service information
