110 hectares are on fire

No end in sight: Black Hawk helicopters fight fires in Carinthia

Overnight into Saturday, fire watch was maintained to protect nearby buildings.(Bild: FF Liesing)

For two days now, the Lesachtal valley in Carinthia has been in a state of emergency: nearly 110 hectares of forest are burning. Thirty fire departments and the Austrian Armed Forces are on the scene. Firefighting efforts will continue on Saturday, and a Black Hawk helicopter from the Austrian Armed Forces has been called in to assist.

Nearly 200 firefighters, six helicopter crews, and dozens of other responders are on the scene in the Lesachtal. As reported, a fire broke out in the Promeggen area, east of Maria Luggau near the village of Xaveriberg, for reasons that remain unknown. Due to the wind and prevailing dry conditions, the flames quickly spread across a vast area. While there was still hope on Friday that the burning area could be contained, by evening 70 hectares were already ablaze. “The night was calmer, but the fire has now spread to between 75 and 80 hectares,” explained District Fire Chief Herbert Zimmermann early Saturday morning. Shortly thereafter, the district administration reported that the fire had spread to 110 hectares.

The Austrian Armed Forces are on standby—a Black Hawk helicopter will be deployed on Saturday. “It has a larger capacity,” confirmed Bernhard Knotz, mayor of Lesachtal. The state of Carinthia is in constant, close communication with the district crisis management team, the state fire department command, and the disaster response agency. The emergency response teams’ strategy: to try to keep the fire under control for the time being—with the support of six helicopters from the Austrian Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.

During the night leading into Saturday, the priority was to maintain a fire watch and protect nearby buildings.(Bild: FF Liesing)

But the water supply in this extremely steep terrain is also a challenge for the emergency crews. The intense smoke from the flames spreading upward is also a growing danger. Knotz explained: “The shifting winds on Friday were extreme. It’s hard to even imagine. Fortunately, none of the firefighters were injured.”

“First the storm and bark beetles, and now this”
The steep forested area is also located exactly where Storm “Vaia” destroyed everything a few years ago. “First the storm, then the bark beetle—now the area had finally been reforested. And now everything is destroyed again. The landowners are, of course, understandably distraught. As is well known, people from the Lesachtal are fighters—but sometimes you just wish things were a little easier,” Knotz continued. People and buildings remain out of danger.

Helicopters in action until dusk
Helicopters were on firefighting duty until the evening hours on Friday. During the night, ground crews maintained a fire watch, primarily to protect the buildings near the fire. Intensive firefighting efforts have continued since the early hours of Saturday morning. And equipment, such as larger water tanks, has also been requested from other provinces, according to the LAWZ. Zimmermann: “There was a reconnaissance flight this morning; now work is continuing at full speed both from the air and on the ground.”

The crisis management team is meeting Saturday morning.(Bild: LM Matthias Warmuth)

Operations on the ground are challenging.(Bild: LM Matthias Warmuth)

Nearly 200 firefighters are on the scene.(Bild: FF Liesing)

There is no end in sight to the inferno. The State Alarm and Warning Center (LAWZ) expects the operation to continue at least into next week.

Fire departments warn of drought
Meanwhile, other Carinthian fire departments are also warning of the extreme risk of wildfires throughout the state. The lack of rainfall in recent weeks poses many risks when dealing with fire.

The B 111 was already closed on Friday—the danger to passing motorists is too great. As the Hermagor District Administration announced, it will remain closed on Saturday as well. Access to St. Lorenzen in the Lesachtal via Carinthia and to Maria Luggau via East Tyrol is possible.