Series of machinery and field fires in the Waldviertel: 18 fire departments prevent worse

Series of fires from Friday to Sunday

On Saturday evening, a round baler caught fire in Kleinreichenbach in the municipality of Windigsteig. The fire spread to the stubble field and covered an area of around 500 square meters. The farmer reacted with presence of mind, unhitched the tractor, and brought it to safety. The FF Kleinreichenbach, Meires-Kottschallings, Rafings-Rafingsberg, Windigsteig, Waldberg-Matzlesschlag and Schwarzenau (district of Zwettl) quickly brought the fire under control. They were supported by two farmers with a cultivator and a vacuum tanker.

Also on Saturday evening, a fire broke out in Triglas in the municipality of Kautzen while baling round bales. Around 9 p.m., a driver noticed fire while ejecting a straw round bale. The bale was fully ablaze shortly afterwards. Here, too, the towing vehicle together with the baler could be brought to safety in time.

On Sunday morning, a dangerous fire occurred in Groß-Siegharts. In the garden of a terraced housing complex, a pile of wood caught fire; the flames spread rapidly and reached the facade of the residential building. The response forces of the Groß-Siegharts-Stadt fire department arrived at the scene just a few minutes after the emergency call and immediately began firefighting. The rapid intervention made it possible to contain and extinguish the fire before the flames could spread to the entire residential complex.

Warning of high fire danger

During the Ranzles operation, the fire departments of Großgerharts, Thaya, Kleingöpfritz, and Kleinzwettl prevented the flames from spreading to a neighboring meadow. In Peigarten, the quickly arriving fire departments of Peigarten, Thaya, and Oberedlitz swiftly brought the embankment fire under control. The Triglas fire was extinguished by the fire departments of Triglas-Klein Gerharts, Pleßberg, Kautzen, and Weißenbach before the flames could spread further.

The district fire command meanwhile warned of the tense situation. Under the current dry conditions, even a small spark can be enough to trigger a fire. Initially inconspicuous field and crop fires can develop into larger and difficult-to-control surface fires within moments. In times of extreme drought and strong wind, the fire danger is very high, the statement continued.

Dense fire department network as a protective factor

At the same time, the command emphasized the central role of the dense fire department network in the region. "The dense network of fire departments plays a central role in such situations," the BFKDO explained. "Ongoing drought and strong wind are currently causing the fire risk to rise drastically, yet thanks to the dense fire department network and extremely short response times, serious disasters have so far been prevented."