By: mk
Prad am Stilfser Joch-A forest area in the municipality of Prad am Stelfser Joch has burned towards Lichtenberg, Agums-Montoni since around 1.15 p.m. The flames blaze in rough terrain, which makes it difficult to extinguish the extinguishing work. Members of ten volunteer fire brigades from the Obervinschgau fire department and the State Forest Service are involved in combating the fire. There are currently three helicopters from Heli Austria and a helicopter from the Air Service Center. The forest authority has requested a super puma that is expected around 5:30 p.m.
The first alarms were triggered around 2 p.m. 50 to 60 hectares of forest were affected by the flames to see a huge cloud of smoke, the country said. The area was difficult to access, it was hardly there any ways, it said. Around 300 firefighters were deployed, the entire slope was affected.
The outbreak of the forest fire and the associated cloud of smoke was also recorded by the webcams in the area. From St. Martin in the Kofel, the webcam of the “Ras – Broadcasting Institute South Tyrol” captured these spectacular recordings. They show the Vinschgau towards Glurns. The whole valley is veiled by the smoke within just one hour after the fire.
It is a difficult terrain, reports state forest director Günther Unterthiner, a farm in Stilfs had to be evacuated, even if the fire is still far away. The challenge is the procurement of extinguishing water, which must be placed from far away. At the moment it is important to protect a implementer at Groß-Montoni from the flames. If it is damaged, television, radio and mobile phone network could fail.
The location center in the agency for population protection is set up and in contact with the emergency services on site. The control centers in Trento and Tyrol are informed, since due to the winds, smoke development can also expand in the area, the director of the Agency for Population Protection Klaus Unterweger describes the situation.
With the population information system up, a civil protection warning was spread: “In the area of Stilfs, Trafoi and Prad, there is a strong smoke development due to the forest fire. In these towns, the population is called to close windows and doors and switch off ventilation systems.”
Just a few weeks ago, a forest fire had in Vinschgau Above Latsch felled. The clouds of smoke moved to Germany at the time. The extinguishing work dragged on for days. A large contingent of fire brigades was in action at the time. 59 of the 90 residents of a hamlet had to be flown out with helicopters.
The situation continues to monitor at night. The helicopter flights had to be set with darkness. The extinguishing work will continue tomorrow morning.
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