The emergency services in Hirschwang, Lower Austria, have already extinguished the open fire – but dozens of embers are still active. The noose for the as yet unknown perpetrators is tightening.
Around 500 hectares of forest burn on average in Austria every year. Exact records from earlier times are missing, but the largest forest fire to date is said to have ravaged up to 3000 hectares in the Tyrolean Inn Valley in 1705. But even the inferno in the Rax-Schneeberg area near Hirschwang in Lower Austria, with 115 hectares of destroyed forest area, gave the more than 7,500 emergency services from all over Austria and neighboring EU countries little breathing space.
Since the first alarm with a suspicion of fire on October 25th at 11.28 a.m., units from the fire brigade, mountain rescue, police and armed forces have been on site to contain the inferno and prevent worse things from happening. In less than ten hours, as reported, the flames had spread from just five to more than 100 hectares of forest owned by the City of Vienna – and in less than 24 hours almost the entire slope was burning (see graphic).
The final extinguishing work now initiates the big pull-out
For the first time since Thursday there has been no open fire in the entire area of operation: “We were able to stop the inferno. We still have dozens of hot spots and strong winds, but the situation is under control, ”said Operations Manager Josef Huber.
Most of the equipment is to be dismantled on Saturday. However, this does not mean the end of the mission, explains Lower Austria fire brigade chief Dietmar Fahrafellner: “Air and ground units are still tasked with locating and extinguishing the embers. A fire watch remains stationed, and if the fire breaks out again, several units and fire-fighting helicopters are available, ”said Fahrafellner.
“They are all heroes of Hirschwang”
Politicians at the state and federal level are certain that the performance of the emergency services was outstanding: “So far, 7500 emergency services have been fighting the flames on the mountain. They are all Hirschwang’s heroes, ”said Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer added: “The fight against the forest fire has demonstrated the great solidarity in Europe. I would also like to thank our foreign partners. “
While the flames are under control, the noose for the arsonists is tightening. According to “Krone” information, there should be specific information about the suspects. The investigators are confident that they can fully clarify the course of the accident.
“We finally have to rethink”
The “Krone” met the Tyrolean Klaus Heidegger, whose ranch in California was devastated by the major forest fires in 2019, and spoke to him about the current situation in Lower Austria and the advantages of permaculture.
Charred avocado trees and driveways washed away by the mud: When we visited Klaus Heidegger’s US ranch in 2019, we saw the devastation. The fires in California had also badly affected his ranch. But while neighbors had lost everything, the permaculture concept according to Sepp Holzer on Heidegger’s property had prevented the worst.
“Since then we have done a lot of renovations, enlarged underground pipes and installed a new water tank. Today it is green and blooming like never before, ”says the 64-year-old when we meet him for an interview. The premiere of the Franz Klammer film “Chasing the Line” brought the ex-ski star, who emigrated to the USA and became a multi-millionaire there with the expansion of the Kiehl’s cosmetics brand, to his old homeland.
- With permaculture, decentralized retention basins are created in the form of ponds and ponds in accordance with the topography of the site. In this way, the water does not seep sideways into ravines, but collects in the ground.
- Instead of building concrete walls and dams below, the water is regulated starting from above.
- In this way, the soil is enriched with water, lush vegetation (preferably mixed culture) and shade arise. This prevents the flames from spreading too quickly in the event of a fire.
The Tyrolean “mountain farmer” surprises the Tyrolean “mountain farmer”: “In California, the forest floor must not be cleared of scrub etc. The forest industry works so well in Austria, but such a disaster happens. A rethink must finally take place. “
“Permaculture saved my property”
Heidegger believes that this is a challenge for politicians: “The farmers are heavily subsidized, but when I see someone with twenty cows and three tractors, I ask myself, where is the protection of the environment? Permaculture saved my property. It is a bit of work at first, but the quality of the fruit is so much better. If the farmers were to be retrained and promoted, agriculture and nature would benefit. Maintenance is much less effort. So much is talked about the environment in Europe, that is where we should start. ”