A forest on the Grafenbergalm in the municipality of Haus im Ennstal has been on fire since Friday afternoon. Firefighting had to be called off on Friday due to darkness and the flames spread overnight. There are currently three fire brigades and two aviation squadrons in action.
A hiker discovered the fire on the Grafenbergalm on Friday around 2:30 p.m. and the man immediately called the fire brigade. Since then, a total of 60 personnel from the Ramsau and Weißenbach fire brigades and the Aigen forest fire base have fought tirelessly against the flames – with air support the fire was at least brought under control, although the extinguishing work had to be stopped on Friday due to darkness.
The operation continues
Saturday morning the “Florianis” went back up the mountain. “The situation briefing is currently underway,” Christoph Schlüßlmayr, fire department spokesman for the Liezen district, told Krone in the morning. Overnight the fire spread to twice the area, about one hectare. Operational management lies with the Weißenbach fire brigade, which is supported on Saturday by the fire brigades of Ramsau and Schladming. The firefighting efforts are supported by five BMI and federal army helicopters. No one has been injured yet. The cause of the fire is still unclear.
This year “only” 91 forest fires
According to experts, the forest fire season is actually already over. But the drought in recent weeks and unusually high temperatures in the mountains allowed the flames to spread in the Ennstal. According to BOKU Vienna, this year’s forest fire season was the weakest since 2005 (85 forest fires at the time), with 91 fires documented in mid-September.
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.
