Hirschwang wildfire recovery could take a century

The forest burned in the 2021 Hirschwang wildfire could take about 100 years to fully recover, while the disaster has led to changes in firefighting equipment and training, ORF reported. The blaze was one of the largest forest fires in Austria’s history.

The fire broke out on 25 October 2021 at Mittagstein in Hirschwang, in the Rax region. It burned 115 hectares of forest. About 8,600 people, including roughly 7,750 firefighters, worked for 13 days to bring it under control, with support from 16 aircraft from Austria and abroad.

Five years later, the damage remains visible in the forest, which belongs to the City of Vienna. Since 2022, about 500 kilograms of seed have been spread and around 10,000 plants have been put in the ground. The fire badly damaged the soil, leaving some parts at risk of erosion.

The damage has also proved worse than initially expected. In 2022, forestry officials marked 100 trees that appeared healthy; half have since died. Vienna’s city councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky said the forest could need around a century to regenerate fully. The replanting programme uses different tree species to create a diverse mixed forest that is more resilient to disease and the effects of climate change.

Fire services have expanded their equipment and training since the blaze. Lower Austria has invested in more than 30 specialist vehicles, and new hoses and water containers for helicopters have been purchased. State fire service commander Dietmar Fahrafellner said helicopters had proved the most effective way to fight forest fires because they can drop water precisely.

The state’s specialist forest-fire service now has about 600 members, up from 200 at the time of the Hirschwang fire. Firefighters also gained experience coordinating ground and air crews. Fahrafellner said forest fires of the type common in Mediterranean countries had now reached the region.

Further measures include drones with thermal imaging cameras, mobile command units and forest plans to support operations. The City of Vienna also uses drones with loudspeakers to monitor its forests. If a campfire is spotted, the drones broadcast a warning telling people to put it out.