“Brand tree, corridor, embankment” – under this keyword, fire brigades deployed four times on Monday alone in Upper Austria. The persistent drought and heat favor the risk of forest fires – not only in southern Europe, where the fires are so massive that the smoke columns are even visible on satellite images from space – but also in this country.
At the weekend, more than 100 workers were deployed for hours on the Brunnkogel in the Höllengebirge at temperatures above 30 degrees in impassable terrain after a fire broke out around 600 meters above sea level. It will not be the last mission of this kind.
A little carelessness is enough
“The risk of forest fires is significantly higher this year than it was ten years ago,” says Felix Montecuccoli, President of Land & Forst Betriebsbetriebe Austria on Monday in the Ö1-Mittagsjournal. The reason for this is climate change and the extreme weather it brings with it. Forests that have been damaged by bark beetles, storms or broken snow are particularly vulnerable. Dry soil, dead grass and insufficient rainfall act like tinder. A little carelessness is enough to start a forest fire.
There were already around 150 forest fires in the first half of 2022, and more than 200 in the driest years of 2019 and 2020. Eleven forest fires this year affected an area of more than one hectare each, which is already a sad record. In the dry years 2019 and 2020 there were six such large forest fires.
“Leave no glass bottles and cans behind”
Montecuccoli appealed to all forest visitors to be careful and to follow some rules. One should never smoke in forests. A spark or a carelessly discarded cigarette can currently be enough to start a serious fire.
“Also, don’t leave glass bottles or cans in the forest,” Montecuccoli said. Open fires are also to be avoided and campfires are prohibited in most districts anyway by virtue of forest fire protection ordinances. When going into the forest, the car should not be parked on dry grass either. “Even a hot exhaust pipe is enough to start a fire,” warn the experts at Land&Forst Betriebs in Austria.
Video: Last Thursday, the Forest Fire Protection Ordinance came into force throughout Upper Austria. This means that open fires and smoking in the forest are prohibited throughout the state.
Source: Nachrichten
