Lightning strike likely cause of forest fire in Villach district

Localization from the air

The helicopter crew found the patch of forest – an area of around 40 square meters that had caught fire. "Die Helikopterbesatzung fand das Waldstück - eine rund 40 Quadratmeter große Fläche, die sich entzündet hatte." It was only this reconnaissance flight that brought clarity to the extent of the fire.

The volunteer fire departments of Nötsch, Arnoldstein, Kreuth, St. Georgen, and Feistritz/Gail launched the firefighting operation with 40 members. "Die Freiwilligen Feuerwehren Nötsch, Arnoldstein, Kreuth, St. Georgen, Feistritz/Gail starteten den Löscheinsatz mit 40 Mitgliedern." They were supported by the police helicopter "Libelle", which dropped several thousand liters of water over the fire area.

Suspected cause: Lightning strike

According to the current state of the investigation, the ground likely self-ignited following a lightning strike in recent days. "Nach derzeitigem Ermittlungsstand dürfte sich der Boden nach einem Blitzeinschlag in den vergangenen Tagen selbst entzündet haben." The police therefore classify the cause as a natural event: "Die Ermittlungen zum Brand laufen, nach aktuellem Stand deutet jedoch alles auf einen natürlichen Auslöser durch einen Blitzschlag hin."

Thanks to the coordinated effort of air and ground emergency services, further spread of the fire was prevented. "Dank des Zusammensenspiels von Luft- und Bodeneinsatzkräften konnte eine weitere Ausbreitung des Feuers verhindert werden." Around 40 square meters of forest floor were affected.

Emergency services and sequence of events

APA reported on 8 July 2026, citing the police, about the incident. According to the police's current findings, a lightning strike likely triggered the fire at Breiter Kopf. "Nach aktuellen Erkenntnissen der Polizei dürfte ein Blitzeinschlag den Brand am Breiten Kopf ausgelöst haben."

Investigations into the exact sequence of events and the timing of the triggering lightning strike are ongoing. According to current information, no one was injured. The affected area is located in a remote, hard-to-access forested region at Alplgraben.