Large-scale forest fire exercise conducted in Pinzgau region

The Austrian Federal Forests (Bundesforste) participated alongside the utility Salzburg AG and the volunteer fire services of Saalfelden and Zell am See. Their joint task was to practise the hand-over between initial attack crews and the heavier incident-management teams that arrive once Alarmstufe 4 is declared.

Who took part

A spokesperson for the organising fire service, identified in coverage as Floriani, said the scenario was designed to push the alarm chain to its upper tier on purpose. The aim, the spokesperson added, was to verify that communication lines between the local command post, the provincial fire authority and the interior ministry's helicopter base hold up under realistic pressure.

Exercise evaluators observed how quickly the requested helicopter arrived on station and whether the additional ground crews could be slotted into the existing command structure without disrupting ongoing operations. Time-to-task and radio discipline were among the key performance indicators tracked.

Energy infrastructure operator Salzburg AG contributed technical advisers familiar with the forest road network around the Steinalm site. Their input focused on ensuring that fire engines could reach the planned drop zones and that access routes remained usable under simulated smoke and visibility conditions.

What the drill tested

The Bundesforste, which manages large tracts of forest in the Pinzgau, provided staff with detailed knowledge of fuel loads and access paths. Officials said integrating that local knowledge into the command decisions was a central goal of the drill, since forest fire behaviour in Alpine terrain differs sharply from lowland incidents.

Volunteers from the Saalfelden and Zell am See fire services handled the frontline suppression tasks, including laying hose, setting up portable pumps and preparing a safety perimeter. Their participation allowed the exercise to test not only mobilisation speed but also the physical endurance of crews operating in summer conditions at altitude.

Organisers stressed that the drill was preventive rather than reactive, with no live fire set. Scenario effects such as smoke markers and radio-simulated flame fronts were used instead, allowing responders to rehearse decision-making without environmental damage.

Next steps

After the exercise, evaluators were scheduled to compile findings and circulate recommendations to fire services across Salzburg province. Officials indicated that lessons on helicopter tasking and inter-municipal mutual aid would feed into the next revision of the regional forest fire response plan.