A year has passed since the devastating forest fire that raged for days in Hirschwang in the market town of Reichenau ad Rax (Lower Austria). Since then, much has happened in the field of forest firefighting in Lower Austria – about eight million euros have been invested. Reforestation in the affected area is well underway but will continue for many years to come. The lessons from the general public of the event could have been greater…
Since the previous year, the Lower Austrian fire brigades have commissioned 18 new special forest fire vehicles for 3.7 million euros, emphasized Stephan Pernkopf (ÖVP), LH Deputy for Lower Austria. In addition, eight forest fire-fighting vehicles, eight pick-ups and 56 roll containers will be added in the coming months for a further 4.3 million euros. Dietmar Fahrafellner, commander of the provincial fire brigade, emphasized that with 33 forest fire vehicles “a power had been built up in Lower Austria”, “which can be seen all over Europe”.
Investments were also made in the training of special forces, as well as in mapping, in order to better prepare for operations. The findings should ultimately be coordinated with the emergency services.
Little learning effect among the population
Of course it would be best if there were no wildfires at all. In the area of prevention, Fahrafellner appealed to open fire on the premises. “A lot of the population may not have learned much from it. We have campfires in the mountains every week again.” This must be avoided: “If there is a small gust of wind today and it is not extinguished optimally, we will have a second Hirschwang, and we absolutely do not want that.”
The areas affected by the fire in Hirschwang are owned by the Municipality of Vienna and are partly used as spring protection forests. Viennese city councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ) said investing in restoring the forest started with the “fireout”. He was convinced “we can repair the damage”.
Afforestation: “I’m sure we have to work on the area for 20 years”
Vienna’s forest director, Andreas Januskovecz, emphasized that reforestation also takes climate change into account. So the forest will change. The black pine will remain, as well as deep-rooted plants – here, for example, nuts and spruce were mentioned. The costs of reforestation to date are estimated at 50,000 to 100,000 euros. You’ll have to do “at least 20 years in the area”.
Fire broke out on October 25, “fire out” on November 6
The forest fire broke out on October 25, 2021 on the so-called Mittagsteig in Hirschwang. The flames spread rapidly – from five to about 115 hectares within ten hours. According to information from the fire service, one of the most complex forest firefighting operations of recent decades took place in steep and rocky terrain. In total, almost 9,000 helpers were on site. On November 6, 2021, “Brand Out” was given.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing. “We are investigating the final report of the National Criminal Investigation Department,” Erich Habitzl, spokesman for the public prosecutor in Wiener Neustadt, told the APA on Thursday. Investigation into unknown perpetrators for arson. On the basis of this legal basis, a prison sentence of up to ten years would be possible. Cell phone records from the crime scene, which were evaluated, did not lead to a conclusive lead.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
