Lobau Fire Vienna: Major Operation by the Professional Fire Brigade

Support was also requested from the Lower Austrian side. The proximity to the provincial border made coordination between Vienna's emergency services and helpers from Lower Austria necessary, as the smoke and the possible spread of the fire extended beyond the protected area.

Assessment by the Authorities

Günther Annerl, deputy head of MA 49, the Vienna municipal department for forestry and agricultural operations, gave an initial assessment of the situation. Annerl said: "Der Brand bewege sich räumlich aber jedenfalls in einem überschaubaren Ausmaß." He thereby indicated that the emergency services had been able to bring the fire under control spatially.

Despite the reassuring assessment from MA 49, the precise fire area remained the subject of ongoing investigations. The Vienna Professional Fire Brigade continued the operation in multiple squads and attempted to prevent the flames from spreading to adjacent woodland.

Vienna's Lobau, as a floodplain area and riparian forest, is an ecologically sensitive protected area. A fire in this area poses particular risks to the local fauna and flora as well as to the typical riparian forest structures that have developed over decades.

Background: The Vienna Lobau

The reporting from APA and other media initially focused on the ongoing extinguishing work. Alongside reports on the Vienna Professional Fire Brigade, references were also highlighted to additional forces from Lower Austria supporting the operation.

Residents and walkers were urged to give the area around the fire in the Lobau a wide berth. The emergency services cordoned off parts of the area in order not to impede either the extinguishing measures or the subsequent investigations into the cause of the fire.

Further Course of Action

The City of Vienna and the responsible authorities announced that, after the extinguishing work was completed, they would precisely measure the affected area and clarify the cause of the vegetation fire. Until then, the precise extent and the trigger of the fire remain the subject of ongoing investigations.