Firefighters prevent larger forest blaze in Seekirchen

Firefighters in Seekirchen, a town in Salzburg’s Flachgau district, prevented a larger forest fire at the last moment, ORF reported. Forestry debris, including several felled trunks, caught fire for reasons that remain unclear.

A pile of branches and other forest waste began burning, with nearby logs and trees also catching fire. Firefighters immediately began tackling the blaze and laid a 400-metre supply line from a nearby firefighting pond.

A local farmer also helped by using a slurry tanker to provide additional water. After the fire was contained, heavy machinery was used to turn over the affected area and extinguish hidden embers.

Seekirchen’s fire service carried out a follow-up inspection that evening to ensure the fire had been completely extinguished. Forty-five firefighters, an Austrian Red Cross emergency service and police officers took part in the operation.

No one was injured. The fire service thanked local farmers for supporting the operation with their machinery during the dry conditions.