A large reed fire broke out in Winden am See around noon on Wednesday after a harvesting machine caught fire. Initially 12 fire brigades from Burgenland were deployed, by evening there were already 19, including three from neighboring Lower Austria. In addition, fire helicopters supported the operation. The flames sometimes read meters high and immerse the night sky in a blood-red light.
“The location of the fire is in the middle of the reed belt between Winden am See and the lake and is difficult to access,” says Günter Prünner of the state fire brigade command in an interview with “Krone”. To ensure the fire water supply, the comrades have to install long fire hoses, some of which wear respiratory protection.
Wind makes extinguishing work more difficult
After only about two hours, an area the size of about six to seven football fields had burned. Prünner: “The wind is not strong, but changes direction regularly. That makes extinguishing work even more difficult.” The weirs of Winden, Breitenbrunn, Jois, Neusiedl, Bruckneudorf, Kaisersteinbruch, Weiden, Rust, Neudorf near Parndorf, Oggau, Oslip and St. Margarethen are currently in use. Prünner: “Rust’s comrades are surveying the situation with a drone from the air.”
Fire helicopter requested
The operational management has already requested fire brigade helicopters from the flight police to support the operation from the air. As the flight police confirmed to the “Krone”, a state-of-the-art H135 P3 had already received the “operational order”. This helicopter is the most modern in the Air Police fleet and in a way its flagship. The helicopter took off from Meidling’s flight operations center around 3:30 p.m. and headed for the theater of operations, where it began extinguishing the fire.
The operation lasts all night
As the fire brigade told the “Krone” in the evening, the operation is expected to last all night. It is also important to protect a nearby caravan park from the flames. “Around 3.30 am we will explore the situation with the drone and then decide whether fire helicopters will be deployed again,” said a spokesman.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
