Around 500 people, among them British tourists, have been evacuated from the island of Brac after a major wildfire broke out on 10 September, part of one of Croatia's worst-ever fire seasons. Rescue teams used everything from speedboats to fishing vessels, plus Croatian navy and port authority boats, to move people off the island.

The fire started near the village of Lozisca on the island's western side and spread fast. Satellite monitoring from the EU's Copernicus Emergency Management Service puts the affected area at more than 3,000 hectares of Brač, which sits southeast of Split on the mainland. Tackling the blaze took 223 firefighters and 69 fire vehicles.

So what does this mean if you have a trip booked? The UK Foreign Office has not issued any Croatia-specific warning as of 16 September, which matters more than you might think. Because there's no advice against travel, there are no exceptional grounds to cancel and get a full refund — any postponement comes down to your tour operator's terms. It's worth checking whether your travel insurance includes natural disaster cover for situations where you can't reach your destination.

The FCDO's standing advice is that wildfires are common in Croatia's hot, dry summers and can change situation quickly. It urges care when visiting or driving through woodland and forest areas, and to follow instructions from local authorities or call Croatian emergency services if you're near a fire.

One warning worth taking seriously: fines for accidentally starting a wildfire can reach €20,000 (about £17,145). Leaving litter, lighting barbecues and failing to properly stub out cigarettes are all covered — a steep price for a careless moment on the beach or a picnic.

Flights are, for now, running broadly normally. Brac airport handles around seven seasonal flights a week plus regular Croatia Airlines domestic services to Zagreb, and departures and arrivals are operating close to schedule. Split, the nearest mainland airport and the main gateway for the Dalmatian islands, was reporting no delays as of Wednesday morning. Still, with fires continuing, officials advise travellers to be ready for possible delays or cancellations and to keep an eye on their airline's updates.

If you're heading to the Dalmatian coast in the coming weeks, the practical takeaway is simple: the region remains open, but stay informed. Sign up for FCDO email alerts, follow local emergency services on social media, and know that late-summer heat and dry conditions mean fire risk can flare up quickly on the islands. Keep valuables and documents accessible in case of sudden evacuation, and plan routes that don't rely on a single road through forested terrain. Most trips will be unaffected, but a little preparation goes a long way when the situation on the ground can change within hours.