Chronicle
The persistent heat and drought is, in the truest sense of the word, extremely dangerous. The risk of field and forest fires is currently extremely high. Fire brigade operations due to vegetation fires are increasing.
Hardly a day goes by without a field fire somewhere in Burgenland: such as large reed fires in Breitenbrunn and Illmitz, field fires in Marz, Pöttsching or Leithaprodersdorf and most recently the large-scale operation at the Großmittel training area (Lower Austria), with a huge column of smoke , which was visible as far as Burgenland.
Already as many missions this year as in the entire previous year
Such operations are more common this year than usual, says Günter Prünner from the Burgenland State Fire Brigade Association. There have already been 187 operations in vegetation fires this year, this number was only reached at the end of the year last year.
Prünner: “It really, really burns easily”
The massive drought is an enormous danger. It doesn’t take much to set a harvested field or dry meadow on fire. All too often, carelessness is the trigger for a large-scale operation. You should definitely not throw lit cigarettes out of the car or drop them on the ground during a walk, and campfires near the forest are not a good idea at the moment. “It’s really, really easy to burn at the moment,” Prünner warned.
Due to the persistent drought, most district authorities – most recently the district authorities of Jennersdorf, Güssing and Mattersburg – have issued ordinances which, among other things, stipulate that lighting fires and smoking in the immediate vicinity of a forest are prohibited. Anyone who does not comply must expect a fine of up to 7,270 euros.
Be careful
In any case, the fire brigade calls for caution. Anyone who notices smoke should notify the fire brigade: “It’s better to call the fire brigade once too many than once too little,” says Prünner. Because the faster the firefighters are on the scene, the faster you can contain the fire.