Fire breaks out near Fresh Island Festival in Croatia, festivalgoers evacuated

Fresh Island Festival in Croatia has been evacuated after a forest fire broke out near the venue, news reports and eyewitness videos show. This story is developing.

The hip-hop and R&B festival, held on Zrće Beach on the island of Pag, was put on hold Monday night (July 15) after a massive fire broke out in the nearby forest, as The Hollywood Reporter notes. Tyga’s and British rapper Not3s’ performances at the Papaya nightclub, one of the festival venues, has been cancelled.

Festivalgoers were initially evacuated via shuttle buses leaving from another venue, Noa Club, towards the town of Novalja, but the latest social media update from the festival notes that local police have shut the road to Novalja. Zrće Beach is currently closed.

“We advise everyone to remain close to Noa Club main road entrance and not to attempt to make their way back to the town until the emergency services have provided further information on the situation. Once again we really appreciate everyone’s patience during this time,” the post read. See it below:

Eyewitness videos posted to social media show the extent of the blaze:

Ohhh at least I got to enjoy #freshisland … pic.twitter.com/WZ5hVHPOMy

— seb (@shh360) July 16, 2019

Fresh Island is lit. I mean on fire pic.twitter.com/g4GXsfQXfF

— 9bills.co.uk (@9bills) July 15, 2019

pic.twitter.com/Ubg09p56h2

— 9bills.co.uk (@9bills) July 16, 2019

The wildfire at Fresh Island Festival right now is mad. Whole thing been locked off pic.twitter.com/qUCu2QPodw

— Chloe Foskett (@ChloeeeeF) July 16, 2019

“The flames were at times double the height of the trees and the smoke cloud grew very quickly also,” Jess Storey, who was at Papaya nightclub, told Mirror Online. The fire appeared to be “spreading rapidly across the forest over the bay due to the high winds”, she said.

Not3s posted a message to his Instagram story urging festivalgoers to stay safe and “not to inhale the smoke”.

This story is developing.