A forest fire broke out 100 kilometers south of Vienna. The top government visits the crisis area.
the essentials in brief
- A forest fire broke out in Austria around 100 kilometers south of Vienna.
- Now the top government has driven in the crisis area.
A forest fire around 100 kilometers south of Vienna drove the Austrian top government to the crisis area on Thursday. “The challenge facing the emergency services here in the Rax-Schneeberg area is enormous,” said Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Köstinger also got a picture on site. Around 500 helpers, including 400 firefighters, were on duty on Thursday.
The aim is to prevent the flames from spreading
In many flights, helicopters poured extinguishing water into the impassable fire area. This should prevent the flames from spreading over a movable wooded area. Settlements are not at risk.
The fire broke out on Monday. The flames spread extremely quickly – from ten hours from five to more than 100 hectares. The fire on an area of around 150 football fields is considered to be the largest forest fire in Austria to date.
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