150 helpers on site

Carinthian wooden house was on fire

When the fire department arrived, the house was ablaze.

(Bild: Bezirksfeuerwehrkommando Villach-Land)

In the early hours of St. Stephen's Day, a house was on fire in Feffernitz, in the municipality of Paternion in Carinthia. Two people suffered burn injuries in the flaming inferno and had to be taken to hospital.

It is still completely unclear why the wooden house in the lower Drau Valley started to burn. What is certain, however, is that the suspended ceiling, balconies and the roof truss of the house are made of wood, which made the firefighting operation more difficult: "The house was fully engulfed in flames at around 4 a.m. and the alerted fire departments launched a comprehensive firefighting attack," explains Michael Krainer, section commander in the Lower Drau Valley. "It was possible to prevent the fire from spreading to the neighboring building," said the Feistritz/Drau fire department.

There was heavy smoke development.

(Bild: Bezirksfeuerwehrkommando Villach-Land)

The attic has to be demolished

(Bild: Bezirksfeuerwehrkommando Villach-Land)

The extent of the damage is not yet clear

(Bild: Bezirksfeuerwehrkommando Villach-Land)

The house is largely made of wood.

(Bild: Bezirksfeuerwehrkommando Villach-Land)

House residents were "extremely lucky"
The occupants of the house - two families - were able to escape from the fire in time: "It was very lucky. If there had been someone else in there, it would have been a different story," says Floriani. Nevertheless, one person suffered minor burns to their hand and received medical treatment on site.

After the emergency services had laid a water pipe to the nearby stream and brought the flames under control despite two hydrants, a crane was now requested from an external company: "The roof truss has to be removed so that the remaining emergency services can still fight the embers." There were traffic obstructions on the B100 federal highway due to the water supply.

House is now uninhabitable
The extinguishing work took several hours. The extent of the damage can currently only be estimated from the photos (see above). The provincial criminal investigation department and the fire prevention department of the Carinthian provincial fire brigade association are investigating the exact cause of the fire. The building is uninhabitable for the time being due to the severe damage.

Two residents suffered burn injuries to their hands and legs in the flaming inferno and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.