Six helicopters on the scene
Sea of flames in the Lesachtal: Eight hectares of forest on fire
Since Thursday evening, a massive wildfire has kept the Lesachtal valley in Carinthia on edge. Around 70 hectares of forest are now ablaze in the Promeggen area. The steep rock faces and extreme dryness pose a major challenge for emergency responders.
Scenes straight out of a disaster movie: In the middle of the night, emergency crews had to temporarily halt their battle against the fire. The terrain in the Promeggen area, east of Maria Luggau, is so steep and impassable that advancing in the dark was simply impossible. “Too dangerous for our people,” said Deputy District Fire Chief Gerd Guggenberger, describing the dramatic situation.
As early as Thursday at 9:21 p.m., sirens wailed in the Lesachtal, the upper Gailtal, and neighboring East Tyrol. But the fire is treacherous: The ongoing drought keeps the flames flaring up again and again. By midnight, the fire had already spread to eight hectares.
The additional challenge: a lack of water for firefighting! To even begin to bring the fire under control, responders had to work tirelessly to lay a four-kilometer-long hose up the mountain. Additionally, three heavy tanker trucks shuttled back and forth to bring in supplies.
Six helicopters in action
On Friday morning, the battle against the flames resumed—and it was even tougher. By Friday afternoon, the fire had spread to more than 70 hectares—by way of comparison: Klagenfurt’s old town within the ring road measures just under 67 hectares. While emergency crews on the ground—40 fire departments—battled the inferno, reinforcements also arrived from the air.
A total of three police and three Austrian Armed Forces helicopters are circling over the valley, attempting to extinguish the fire from above. While the nearest village, Xaveriberg, is heavily shrouded in smoke, emergency responders report that there is currently no danger. The village is far enough away. The battle against the inferno is in full swing—and is likely to continue for the next few days. The “Krone” will keep you updated.
Sprinkler system to protect settlements
“As soon as darkness falls, the six helicopters will stop extinguishing the fire,” explains Herbert Zimmermann, chief of the Hermagor district fire department, describing the situation around 6 p.m. on Friday. The fire crews will also be pulling out soon. A fire watch on site will then monitor the spread of the fire throughout the night. To protect the settlements near Xaveriberg, a sprinkler system was installed. The fire departments drew water from the Gail River for this purpose. “We want to prevent the flames from spreading to the residential areas,” explains Zimmermann.
Tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m., the fire departments will resume their fight against the fire. The helicopters will also be back on site.
Emergency water supply for the population
The town is still far enough away. Nevertheless, several water sources were also affected by the destructive fire, which is why the municipality has been working to set up an emergency water supply for the population.
In any case, the battle against the inferno was still in full swing on Friday evening—and is likely to continue for the next few days. “The most important thing now is to protect life and limb,” said Lesachtal Mayor Bernhard Knotz on Friday.
Army assistance mission
At the request of the Carinthia State Alarm and Warning Center, the Austrian Armed Forces have been on an assistance mission since Thursday to help fight a forest fire in the Lesachtal. “Our soldiers remain ready to provide decisive assistance in this challenging situation,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
Road closure
Due to the operation and for safety reasons, the Gailtal Road (B111) between St. Lorenzen im Lesachtal and Maria Luggau is currently closed: Burning pieces of wood and rocks could fall onto the road. A detour around the closure is only possible via a long route through East Tyrol. Emergency responders suspect the road will remain closed for some time—it is unlikely the flames will be extinguished before Saturday.
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