Burning down the slope

Achenseebahn

The slope is burned and then watered to prevent the flames from spreading too far.

(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

The withered vegetation along the Achensee cable car route in the Tyrolean lowlands was removed earlier in the year than ever before to minimize the risk of fire in the summer heat - a hot special job with a lot of know-how.

The Achenseebahn starts operating on May 1st, the old "steam horses" emit dangerous sparks despite filters in the smoke flues. After all, around 350 kilograms of coal are burned on a trip from Jenbach to Lake Achensee.

In dry summer months, the adjacent embankment could catch fire - or even the entire forest. "Controlled burning" of the embankment is therefore the motto or even the regulation of the BH Schwaz.

We use a gas burner, as for roof work. We also carry a tank with 6000 liters of water on a freight wagon.

Gerhard Thumer, Werkstättenleiter der Achenseebahn

Removing withered and dry vegetation
Achenseebahn workshop manager Gerhard Thumer has been responsible for this for 36 years. The aim is to remove the withered and dry vegetation. "We use a gas burner, like for roof work. We also carry a tank with 6000 liters of water on a freight wagon," explains the expert. The Jenbach fire department is on site to prevent the flames from spreading to an extreme extent.

This year, the conditions were ideal and it was possible to start very early: "The winter was dry, so the old vegetation burned well and the new grass was not yet there," explains Thumer.

The last section on the flat section between Maurach and Eben was only recently completed. Just in time, before the rainy weather would have made the work impossible.