First New Year's Eve balance sheet

31 fires and one partially torn off hand

A picture as often seen on New Year's Eve 2025, here from Wels: a dustbin or waste container was set on fire

(Bild: Matthias Lauber/laumat.at)

For the emergency services in Upper Austria, the turn of the year was, as expected, a night with a lot of work. But an initial assessment shows that it was worse! The fire departments recorded 31 firefighting operations, but all the houses are still standing. And the paramedics took a firework victim to hospital with a seriously injured hand.

A firecracker had apparently ripped through the 30-year-old man's hand in Ansfelden. The man suffered such serious injuries that he had to be taken to the accident hospital in Linz by the Red Cross. According to initial information, it is said to be a partial amputation of the hand or fingers. At the hospital, the microsurgeons had already prepared to treat one or two injuries. After an 18-year-old in Seewalchen blew off part of his hand before New Year's Eve, there were two seriously injured firework victims this year.

Six slightly injured due to fireworks
In Bad Goisern, a younger party-goer also injured his hand, but only slightly and was taken to hospital in Bad Ischl. In the greater Linz area, there were also five slightly injured people who had to be taken to hospital with minor burns and wounds caused by firecrackers and rockets. There were also some "drunk bodies" and two young men who needed a doctor after a fight.

Stray rocket caused hearing loss
In Wilhering, several people, including children, suffered hearing loss when a firework rocket detonated next to them. It had been fired by a 19-year-old nearby and had strayed onto the terrace. It also damaged the façade, carport and a baby carriage. The 19-year-old was reported to the police,

Façade threatened to catch fire
The provincial fire brigade command counted 31 fire incidents during the night. But the good news is: "All the houses are still standing!" The most critical situation was in Pucking, where a settee on the terrace of a house caught fire and the flames threatened to spread to the façade. The fire department was able to quickly bring the fire under control and limit the damage to a minimum. Hedges and dustbins that had been deliberately or negligently set on fire by fireworks were burning all over the state. 

Operation because of weapons
There was a major police operation in Wels, where teenagers were shooting around with alarm guns and had also fired numerous fireworks in the city without permission.