Föhnsturm triggers forest fire in Rosenau on the stallion pass!

Föhnsturm triggers forest fire in Rosenau on the stallion pass!

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Rosenau on the Hengstpass, Upper Austria, a forest fire, the cause of which was a torn 30 kV middle voltage line. This line was damaged by a falling tree during a violent hair dryer. This led to the triggering of a fire that quickly spread into adjacent forest embankment and also inflamed meadows. Storm gusts contributed significantly to the development of the fire by having three conductor ropes fall to the ground and thus sparking the flames.

The local fire departments were immediately alerted. A total of five fire brigades from the area moved out to fight the fire. Thanks to the rapid reaction of the emergency services, the fire could be spread to larger forest areas in good time. The post -extinguishing work dragged on until the afternoon to make sure that no embers remained that could flare up again. Fireworld reports on the efficient work of the fire brigade.

weather conditions and challenges

The weather conditions played a crucial role in this incident. The Föhnsturm not only caused the gusts of wind that let the trees overturn, but also a general increase in the risk of fire in the region. Similar to Germany, where the weather conditions have influenced the forest fire risks in recent years, global warming was also a challenge in Upper Austria. These changes require continuous improvements in fire fighting and prevention in order to identify potential dangers early Federal Environment Agency.

The risk of forest fire in Germany has increased since 2018, especially in regions that were mainly affected by dryness and heat. Therefore, every fire such as the one in Rosenau on the stallion pass brings the discussion about prevention measures and the need for better preparation for extreme weather events on the tableau. Even if in the past, measures to prevent forest fire such as the use of digital sensors and improvement in the fire brigade alarm systems have been implemented, the risk remains.

This incident will certainly also arrange the local authorities to rethink the existing solutions and to request continuous investments in infrastructure and training of the emergency services in order to be able to react even more effectively to such situations in the future. In the coming time you will have to observe how the weather affects the risk of forest fire in the region and which measures are taken to further minimize the risk.