A forest fire broke out in Raabs ad Thaya (Waidhofen ad Thaya district) on Saturday evening. According to the district command, around 130 members of 14 fire brigades were deployed. The flames also spread rapidly over an area of up to 20 hectares due to persistent wind, it was stressed. There were initially no reports of injuries.
The forest fire started around 6 p.m. in Modsiedl, a cadastral municipality of Raabs ad Thaya. A little later, the highest alert level “B4” was triggered. The so-called special forest fire fighting service was also requested. It was expected that the fire-fighting operation would extend into the night hours.
Major forest fire in Tyrol
In Tyrol, Saturday afternoon in Pinswang (Reutte district) is a bigger one Forest fire broken out According to media reports, several fire brigades from Tyrol and Germany are in action. As the APA was told by the Tyrol control center, the firefighting was still in full swing in the evening. One person was taken to the hospital by the rescue service – but it was unclear whether it was an emergency responder or an “uninvolved person”.
The fire broke out around 12:30 p.m. near the German state border northeast of Unterpinswang. The extinguishing work is difficult because the fire is raging in the steep and rocky terrain and the operation will probably continue into the night hours. In addition to the numerous fire brigades, three helicopters and the mountain rescue team are also on duty. The Innsbruck professional fire brigade arrived with a refueling truck. The rescue team is also on the spot to feed and care for the firefighters.
Dead in southern Styria
An 80-year-old man from south-eastern Styria died early on Friday evening in a forest fire he probably caused. The pensioner had gathered up leaves in a wooded area near Gnas and then set them on fire. Neighbors noticed the smoke and looked to find the charred body. An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death. The police do not assume third-party debt, as was announced on Saturday. The fire broke out on Friday for reasons that have not yet been fully clarified. Around 5:00 p.m., a neighbor noticed heavy smoke from the dry mixed forest below an orchard. He went to check with his son and son-in-law. They found an apparently male and already heavily charred body. They alerted the emergency services.
The fire covered an area of around 6,000 square meters in some steep terrain. Around 110 firefighters from a total of 14 surrounding fire departments quickly brought the flames under control. However, embers and glowing tree stumps and rootstocks had to be extinguished until the early hours of the morning.
According to previous knowledge, the man who died in the accident should be the 80-year-old forest owner. He is said to have regularly gathered up leaves in the local forest in order to then burn them. Apparently, the Southeast Styrian was alone with this activity on Friday. To clarify the identity and the circumstances of death, the public prosecutor’s office in Graz ordered an autopsy. The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined by fire investigators and crime scene officers from the Styrian State Criminal Police Office. A crisis intervention team was deployed to look after relatives and emergency services.
Source: Nachrichten
