Forest fire in Friuli: 815 hectares burned, cross-border operation not yet concluded

The emergency services worked closely with the Italian authorities. The fire required coordinated measures across the state border, as the affected forest areas are in some cases only a few kilometers from the Austrian-Italian border and it was necessary to prevent the fire from spreading to Austrian territory.

Cross-border cooperation

Daniel Fellner stated at the end of the first phase of operations that the cross-border solidarity and willingness to help in recent days had impressively demonstrated how important a functioning neighborly relationship is in times of crisis. He expressly thanked all the organizations and helpers involved.

Despite the progress made so far in containing the fire, those responsible see no reason to give the all-clear. The weather conditions, the dryness in the affected high-altitude areas, as well as isolated smoldering spots in the ground continue to require a strong presence of the emergency services.

Emergency services from Carinthia

In recent days, the firefighting operations focused primarily on the hard-to-access mountain regions around Tolmezzo as well as on the slopes above the municipality of Amaro. Due to the steep terrain, the flames could in some cases only be fought from the ground and with the support of firefighting vehicles.

The municipality of Weißensee was also involved in the firefighting operations with its own contingents. It provided personnel and equipment and coordinated the operation together with the District Administration of Spittal an der Drau, which, as the higher-level authority, provided organizational support for the entire Carinthian operation.

According to the information, the Austrian Federal Forests (Österreichische Bundesforste) took over the assessment of the forestry situation on site. Among other things, they evaluated the risk of further fires and provided advice to their Italian colleagues.

The disaster relief service of the State of Carinthia coordinated the higher-level logistics of the operation and ensured that supplies, catering, and medical care for the deployed forces were guaranteed at all times.

Situation remains tense

The police and the water rescue service were also part of the contingent. While the police were primarily responsible for securing the operation sites and coordinating with the Italian security authorities, the water rescue service supported the transport of equipment and personnel across the lakes and waterways of the region.

According to the latest available reports, the overall situation remains tense. The authorities expect that the cleanup work and the follow-up inspection of the burned areas will take several more days.

A final assessment of the damage, as well as a complete list of all Austrian emergency services involved, is expected in the coming days.