On (tomorrow) Sunday, two special helicopters will land from Germany to Lower Austria. The two Canadair planes off Italy According to Pernkopf, each has a capacity of around 7,000 liters. The required water is to be taken from the Danube. Ultimately, the pilots – “top-class specialists”, as the state vice-president noted – also decide on the exact extraction points.
The special helicopters that will arrive on Sunday hold 5,000 liters each. “We assume that we will be able to contest the next few days with it,” the ÖVP politician looked ahead. As early as Friday, in consultation with the Ministry of the Interior, aircraft capacities in neighboring countries were queried “in order to be prepared for all eventualities”. The support from Italy and Germany is now taking place on the basis of European neighborhood aid. Lower Austria, too, has lately lent a hand again and again in this context, recalled Pernkopf, among other things, of the deployment of numerous firefighters in the forest fires in North Macedonia in August.
Pernkopf described Saturday as a “large-scale deployment day”. There are ten helicopters in the air over the Rax area, six from the Department of Defense and four from the police. Two helicopters are aircraft with a capacity of up to 3,000 liters.
According to the state fire brigade commander Dietmar Fahrafellner, another 500 forces are deployed, including “40 forest fire fighters in rough terrain”. Overnight there was “a strong kindling of the fire”. Now the flames would have to be fought once more “from several sides”. A so-called defense line has now also been built on the ridge to prevent the flames from jumping over and thus preventing further spread.
According to Fahrafellner, the first flights of the Canadair planes are planned for the evening hours and Sunday morning. “With the measures we hope that the situation can be brought under better control.” Praise came from Pernkopf for the previous approach to the forest fire. It works “well despite the most difficult circumstances”. The “emergency services perform superhumanly”, referred to the state vice-president, among other things, on the topographical difficulties in the Rax area.
The flames broke out on Monday. The fire spread extremely quickly – from five to more than 100 hectares in ten hours. With regard to the cause of the fire, the police assume a “foreign ignition source”. Surveys of the surroundings, for example also in surrounding huts, are carried out. Numerous notices have already been received.
