Schwendfeuer in Heiligenblut: Rapid use prevents forest fire!

Schwendfeuer in Heiligenblut: Rapid use prevents forest fire!

Heiligenblut, Österreich - On April 9, 2025, in Heiligenblut, in the Spittal/Drau district, a fire that developed from an official Schwendfeuer. A 45-year-old woman carried out swing work on her property, as stronger winds spread the fire on an adjacent forest. The property owner reacted immediately and informed the volunteer fire brigade (FF) Heiligenblut.

When the fire brigade arrived, the emergency services reported strong smoke development and several smaller fireplaces in the forest. Thanks to the quick intervention, the beginning of the forest fire was quickly brought under control and deleted. The property damage extends to an area of around 800 to 1000 m², the amount of the damage alone is still unknown. A total of 40 firefighters from the weirs of Heiligenblut and Großkirchheim as well as officers from the Heiligenblut police station on the Großglockner.

The increasing trend of forest fires

This fire development in Heiligenblut throws a light on an urgent problem that Austria has been busy and more concerned with in recent years. Data show that 85 % of the forest fires in Austria are caused by human action. The main causes include thrown cigarettes, hot ashes and fire that have been out of control. According to the “Austria Fire Futures” project, the influence of recreational use on forest fires is examined. This includes institutions such as the International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA), the University of Natural Research (BOKU) and the Federal Research Center for Forest (BFW).

In 2024, 109 forest fires have been documented so far, which is a moderate decline compared to the long -term average of 200 fires. Nevertheless, there were two extreme fires that should be highlighted: in April a fire in Wild Alps (Styria), caused by a torn power line, an area of 90 hectares. In September there was a corridor in Gänserndorf (Lower Austria) in mowing work, which suffered over 30 hectares of space and resulted in the evacuation of 20 buildings.

public awareness and information requirement

A survey from the Rax Schneeberg region shows that many relaxation seekers feel insufficiently informed about forest fires. However, the majority are aware that forest fires increase through climate change. There are many among the respondents who support information measures on the risk of forest fire and the correct behavior. Almost two thirds state that they would rarely visit areas that are affected by forest fires, while a quarter expresses health concerns about walking through such areas.

To tackle this topic, an online platform for mapping all forest fires in Austria was developed. On the website www.waldbrand.at there are daily information on the risk of forest fire and relevant forest fire regulations. Furthermore, a risk assessment is carried out on high -resolution cards that take human influence, topography, weather and vegetation into account.

The incident in Heiligenblut underlines urgency to raise awareness of the risk of forest fire and to promote preventive measures to avoid such fires. Information and training could make a decisive contribution to avoiding future fire events and ensuring security for humans and nature.

For more information, readers can report on Fireworld href = "https://kaernten.orf.at/stories/3300668/"> ORF Kärnten as well as the website of the Waldverbands Visit.