In the Rax region
Burning car triggers huge forest fire in Lower Austria
After a devastating forest fire in the Mühlviertel (Upper Austria), Schwarzau in Lower Austria is now also affected. The flames are raging in the Rax mountains (Neunkirchen district) and triggered a large-scale operation by the fire department and police on Saturday morning. The cause of the fire was probably a burning car.
According to fire department spokesman Klaus Stebal, 14 fire departments with 100 members were already deployed in the early afternoon. In addition, two disaster relief units with 120 people were alerted. The air service with 50 firefighters and two firefighting helicopters from the Ministry of the Interior also took part in the firefighting operation.
Firefighting proves difficult
According to Stebal, the fire was probably started by a burning car at around 10.00 am. The strong wind caused the flames to spread to a nearby wooded area. From there, the fire spread over a large area due to the wind and dryness. According to Stebal, the steep terrain, largely overgrown with pine trees, made it even more difficult for the firefighters. Attempts are currently being made to prevent the fire from spreading further by forming barriers.
Operation will probably last until Sunday
Stephan Pernkopf (ÖVP), the provincial councillor responsible for disaster control, announced in the afternoon that further fire-fighting helicopters had been requested by the province of Lower Austria, bringing the total number of helicopters to five. He is in contact with the fire department and the state warning center, said Pernkopf. According to fire department spokesman Stebal, it is not yet possible to predict when the fire will be under control. In his estimation, the operation would definitely last until Sunday.
According to district fire brigade commander Josef Huber, the situation was easing slightly in the early evening. However, due to the strong winds, the fire was not yet under control. A fire watch will be deployed during the night. The actual fire-fighting work, including the use of helicopters, will then continue in the morning hours. The main task is to track down embers that could be fanned by the wind. According to Huber, he currently estimates the extent of the fire at around five to ten hectares.
9000 helpers in action in 2021
A few years ago, a devastating forest fire in the district had already claimed the emergency services for days: On October 25, 2021, it started burning on the so-called Mittagsteig in Hirschwang in the market town of Reichenau an der Rax and the fire spread extremely quickly - from five to around 115 hectares within ten hours. According to the fire department, the steep and rocky terrain turned into one of the most complex forest firefighting operations of recent decades. A total of almost 9,000 helpers were on site. The fire was only declared "out" on November 6, 2021. It was assumed to be arson, but a perpetrator has not yet been identified.
Forest fires also in South Tyrol and the Mühlviertel region
In South Tyrol, too, a major fire in Val Venosta kept over 100 firefighters on their toes. Around 100 hectares were in flames, 59 people had to leave their homes and eleven were injured. Several fire-fighting helicopters, including two from Austria, were deployed. In Hirschbach in the Mühlviertel region of Upper Austria, 150 square kilometers of forest floor in steep terrain also burned down on Friday. Ten fire departments from surrounding communities were deployed and prevented the flames from spreading further
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