Fire brigade in constant operation: water and oil cause chaos!

Fire brigade in constant operation: water and oil cause chaos!

On November 4th, 2025, the fire department in Carinthia was called upon twice. In the first emergency, the fire brigade was alerted after heavy rain filled a construction pit behind the new municipal office. The emergency services reacted quickly and successfully pumped out the water. They then secured and checked the affected area to avoid further danger. This shows the local fire department's ability to react quickly in critical situations.

There was another incident early in the evening when a truck left a 900 meter long oil trail on the Köttmannsdorfer Landesstraße, caused by a burst hydraulic hose. Firefighters tied up the spilled oil and cleaned the road while directing and temporarily rerouting traffic. The safety of the road users was guaranteed during the approximately two-hour operation.

Further operations due to water and oil

Similar alerts indicating the challenges posed by weather conditions were registered in Kirchweyhe on November 20, 2023. Here the fire brigade was called to an apartment building whose basement and elevator shaft were flooded by heavy rainwater. The emergency services used a water vacuum cleaner and a submersible pump to pump the water out of the building. On the way back, they discovered an oil trail, which they traced until they were able to identify the culprit's vehicle. The vehicle was secured with a drip tray and a specialist company was then called in to remove the oil slick, a procedure that ensured the proper removal of dangerous substances. Weyhe fire department reports about it.

Another incident occurred on December 5, 2023 in Gehrden. The fire department was alerted at 1:18 p.m. about an oil spill in Gärtnereiweg. Callers had reported that an oil and water mixture was threatening to flow into the sewage system. The fire brigade therefore secured the road entrances and spread binding material in a danger area where there was an extreme risk of slipping. The rapid response of the fire department, supported by employees of the construction yard and a specialist company, made it possible to remove an oil slick that was around 200 meters long. These measures illustrate the need for close cooperation between the fire brigade and other local authorities in emergency response. Gehrden fire department provides information about the operation.

The operations in Carinthia as well as the neighboring reports from Kirchweyhe and Gehrden illustrate the challenges that the fire brigade face in extreme weather conditions and the associated technical problems. All of these operations require quick action and precise coordination in order to defuse possible threats to the population.