The fire broke out on the night of Monday in the plastic processing plant Drava International in Osijek. According to reports, firefighters arrived at the scene at 23:20, and the intervention covered an area of 10 by 25 metres. Twelve firefighters with four fire engines participated in the operation, and after the fire was brought under control, firefighters remained on site on alert to prevent any potential escalation from remaining hotspots.
This is not the first incident at this location. A similar, but significantly larger, incident occurred on 4 October 2023, when more than 300 firefighters took part in the extinguishing operation. Three firefighters were injured in that incident, one of whom was seriously injured. In connection with that incident, the company’s owner and director, Zvonko Bede, along with employees Zoran Zatko and Vinko Klarić, were arrested on 17 January 2024, but were later released from pre-trial detention. The trial began in June 2025.
The defendants are accused of storing hazardous waste on an unregulated area, larger than permitted. They are charged with the improper storage of hazardous and plastic waste, which led to major fires. Experts state that the ignition occurred due to physicochemical processes, specifically the spontaneous combustion of waste. The defendants are accused of failing to provide adequate protective measures, failing to maintain fire access routes, and keeping fire hydrants in a defective state, with insufficient water pressure in the hydrants and difficult access.
