Helicopters, manure spreaders

A Series of Forest Fires Following Lightning Strikes in Tyrol

In Wildermieming, firefighters have been battling a forest fire since Tuesday afternoon.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Events unfolded rapidly on Tuesday in Tyrol regarding forest fires caused by lightning strikes. While a fire broke out at noon in Wildermieming—which at its peak was being fought by no fewer than eight helicopters—additional operations followed in the Unterland region and in East Tyrol. The all-clear has not yet been given in some areas, even today, Wednesday. However, long-awaited rain is helping with the firefighting efforts.

Around 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the fire broke out in Wildermieming (Innsbruck-Land district) in the “Grießlehne” area.  This is a distinctive forested and rugged area above the community of about 1,000 residents. The fire was likely caused by a lightning strike. Shortly before, a violent thunderstorm had swept through the area.

Up to eight helicopters in the air
A large-scale operation ensued. Around 150 emergency responders were on the scene. The fire could only be fought from the air—at peak times, up to eight helicopters were in the air, including some from the Austrian Armed Forces.

The operation was suspended in the evening before resuming early Wednesday morning. “The wildfire continues to be fought intensively. Currently, two additional helicopters are being deployed to specifically extinguish the remaining hot spots from the air,” Mayor Matthias Fink reported around 8 a.m.

Rain Brought Relief
The overnight rain contributed to a noticeable easing of the situation. “However, due to the current weather conditions and the general terrain, ground crews are not currently being deployed in the immediate vicinity of the fire,” the mayor continued.

The public is still urged to avoid the area and keep access roads clear for emergency responders. On Wednesday, approximately 50 personnel from the fire department, the Austrian Armed Forces, mountain rescue, emergency medical services, the police, and the municipality were still on the scene.

According to the police, the fire is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike.

Wurzelstock went up in flames
On Tuesday afternoon, a forest fire also broke out in Matrei in East Tyrol—though it was much smaller. In the Kienburg district, a tree stump and the surrounding forest floor were on fire. Here, too, the fire is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike that occurred during a thunderstorm that had passed through earlier. Since the fire site was located in a steep and hard-to-reach section of forest about 400 meters above sea level above the valley, a helicopter and a drone were called in to assess the situation and fight the fire.

At around 7:30 p.m., the fire was finally declared extinguished.

Major Forest Fire Also in the Kufstein District
A forest fire alert was also issued in Breitenbach am Inn on Tuesday! Around 7:45 p.m., a 36-year-old local resident reported the fire. The source of the fire was located at an elevation of about 1,300 meters above sea level, above rocky cliffs with a slope of more than 50 degrees and below the forested Kühberg (1,677 meters). The exposed location made firefighting efforts considerably more difficult.

Fire departments from Breitenbach, Kramsach, Radfeld, Landl, Hinterthiersee, Kufstein, Bad Häring, Schwoich, Söll, Ebbs, and Unterlangkampfen were involved. In addition, the Novartis plant fire department, aviation support personnel, and the district fire department association’s drone team were on the scene.

Starting at 9:00 p.m., an Austrian Armed Forces helicopter provided aerial support to the emergency crews and conducted a total of four firefighting flights over the burned area. Due to the onset of darkness, firefighting operations had to be temporarily suspended around 9:30 p.m. The operation resumed at 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

“According to current findings, the fire spread into the night, covering an area of approximately 900 to 1,000 square meters,” the police reported early this morning. The cause is likely to have been a lightning strike in this case as well. 

Using manure tankers for firefighting
There had also been a forest fire alert on Monday evening in East Tyrol: Following a lightning strike, a fire broke out in Oberlienz at an elevation of about 1,900 meters. The site was extremely difficult to access. However, the fire department was ultimately able to bring the situation under control thanks to strong support from local farmers. “Several farmers helped the fire department by transporting water to the scene in manure tankers,” the police said.

The fire was finally extinguished around 11:30 p.m. Fortunately, no one was injured.