09/13/2026
The past three days were terrifying...it hasn't rained on Brač since early June, and the exciting prognosis of rain only brought thunder and lightning, which at 11:15 pm on Thursday hit the hill next to my village of Ložišća. Fire broke out, and the brittle underbrush and high winds started a three day fire (well, it is still burning) that reached our main street at 2:30 am. I fled at 2, and the incredible firefighters held it to the street and saved our village. For 2 days they bombed the hot spots with non-stop water planes, but at night the high winds rekindled and spread the fire in every direction. Ložišća had fires above and below, but then left our area and headed toward Milna (where our courts are too). It raged and ravished. One friend lost everything, but the 200 plus firefighters from around the country did an incredible job of saving almost everything, getting people evacuated, and there has been no loss of life.
It was terrifying, but in the middle of it all my neighbors came for a little bit of lightness and sang and danced and played the acordian.
The fires are still going, and the island is scarred, just leaving the bones of the century-old gomila (piles of stones piled up to created space for grapes and sheep) filling the hills.
The whole world is burning, and it hit home here.
Nonetheless, the community response has been amazing and will only be stronger after this. It is still a magical place and we will all heal quickly.
