13/09/2026
π₯ BRAΔ β A TRAGEDY FOR DALMATIA π«
Today, BraΔ has been hit by a devastating wildfire, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and destroying precious olive groves.
For those of us who live around the Adriatic, olive trees are far more than crops. Some have stood for hundreds of years. They are part of the landscape, the history, the families and the culture of Dalmatia.
To see ancient olive trees consumed by fire is heartbreaking. π€
Our thoughts are with everyone evacuated, the firefighters and emergency services fighting this terrible blaze, and the families whose land and livelihoods have been affected.
Olive trees can take generations to grow β and only minutes to burn.
Tonight, BraΔ needs our thoughts, our support and, when the fires are finally under control, our help to rebuild. ππ·π«
BraΔ is at the heart of Croatiaβs olive-oil heritage. The island is the largest olive-growing area in Croatia, with around one million olive trees, covering roughly two-thirds of its agricultural land. Olive growing has been central to BraΔ and Dalmatia for centuries, with the island historically producing more olive oil than the rest of Dalmatia combined. οΏ½ To see thousands of those ancient olive trees destroyed by fire is therefore not simply an environmental tragedy β it is a devastating blow to Croatian and Dalmatian olive growing, the livelihoods of growers and producers, and a vital part of Croatia's agricultural and cultural heritage.
