Fire Department Upgrades Equipment

New Unit to Combat Rising Forest Fire Risk

1.141 million liters of water were flown into the Lesachtal by helicopter.(Bild: Hannes Wallner)

Dry conditions in forests are putting local firefighters to the test—the inferno in Carinthia’s Lesachtal is likely just the “starting gun”; the Federal Firefighters Association is now even setting up a new unit!

Manpower, training, and equipment—this trio determines the effectiveness of local fire departments and is currently proving its worth in Carinthia’s Lesachtal valley. As reported, the inferno has been raging since Thursday evening. 110 hectares of forest are ablaze, and nearly 1,000 firefighters are desperately battling walls of flame and pockets of embers.