Farmers help firefighters battle Swiss blaze with manure tanks

Farmers used water-filled manure tanks to help firefighters contain a large blaze in Koblenz, Switzerland, SRF reported. The fire began in dry vegetation, spread to a wood storage site and then reached a forest.

Strong winds fanned the flames and sparks set trees alight. Although several fire brigades were at the scene, the remote location made the operation difficult.

A firefighter who happened to be nearby contacted farmer Ruedi Gfeller. His son Ivan filled a manure tank with 15,000 litres of water from the farm’s own cistern and drove it to the fire.

Using a long-range nozzle formerly used to spread manure over large distances, he sprayed water directly onto the burning wood. Other farmers also filled their tanks with water and joined the operation. Together, they used 60,000 litres of water to extinguish the flames.

“The help was a matter of course,” Gfeller said.

Tanja Fritschi, commander of the Döttingen-Klingnau-Koblenz fire brigade, said the support may have prevented the fire from spreading further. A manure tank positioned directly in front of a burning pile could release its entire water load with greater effect than fire hoses, she said.

Fire engines usually carry a few hundred litres of water, while a manure tank can hold several times more. There was no hydrant close to the fire, and firefighters would first have had to lay out hoses.

The fire was reported at 6.30pm, and the operation ended at around 5.30am. After the flames were extinguished, the wood pile was dismantled to look for remaining embers.

Fritschi said the fire brigade could have put out the blaze without the farmers’ help, but their quick response prevented it from spreading. The ground was so dry that fire could have travelled through the soil via tree roots. Finding such underground embers would have required extensive work and additional personnel.

Germany promotes cooperation

Firefighters and farmers in Switzerland have supported one another during special incidents before, Fritschi said. The two groups know each other, and fire brigades have lists of farmers and their equipment in their areas.

In Germany, where large forest and vegetation fires occur more frequently than in Switzerland, the Red Farmer website connects fire brigades and farmers across several federal states, even when they do not know one another personally. Contractors, gardening businesses and vineyards can also register their machinery.