Eleven fire brigades tackle fire in Obermillstatt building

Eleven fire brigades fought a fully developed fire at an agricultural building in Obermillstatt on Monday evening, ORF reported. The owner was alerted by his dog’s loud barking and called emergency services. The fire had not been fully extinguished by Tuesday morning.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. The building was already engulfed in flames when the first firefighters arrived at 9.18 p.m., according to Martin Untermoser, incident commander and head of the Obermillstatt fire brigade.

Firefighters focused first on preventing the flames from spreading to neighbouring homes. They established several firebreak positions around the houses and successfully protected them.

Water supply hampered operations

The firefighting effort was complicated by limited access to water. The nearby Mühlbach stream was carrying no water, Untermoser said. Crews therefore laid two extremely long hose lines from the Riegerbach stream.

An initial water supply came from a 120-cubic-metre swimming pool at the Alpenrose Hotel in Obermillstatt. Firefighters also laid several lines for almost one kilometre into the Millstätter Schlucht.

The Spittal fire brigade later arrived with an aerial ladder, allowing crews to attack the burning building from above and reach areas that were difficult to access.

Fire brigades from Millstatt, Obermillstatt, Treffling, Döbriach, Radenthein, Seeboden, Spittal, Lammersdorf, Laubendorf, Matzelsdorf and Kötzing deployed 20 vehicles and about 220 personnel. Police and the Red Cross also attended.

Police used a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera to locate remaining embers and hot spots. Temperatures of up to 180 degrees Celsius were recorded inside the stable building, Untermoser said.

After midnight, a local crane company and an earthmoving company were called in. A crane and excavator were used to remove hay bales and the stored hay from the building. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus then extinguished the material removed from the building.

The Obermillstatt fire brigade remained at the scene. Officials had not yet declared the fire fully extinguished, and the extent of the damage was still unknown.