Major fire in Nußdorf-Debant: Fire brigade fights the flames!

Major fire in Nußdorf-Debant: Fire brigade fights the flames!

A major fire broke out in the recycling plant in Nußdorf-Debant, East Tyrol, this Saturday, which presented the emergency services with a major challenge. The Tyrolean police had already raised an alarm at midday when the fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. and quickly spread to a warehouse. 5min.at reported on the first alarms and the large visible cloud of smoke over the site, which alerted residents.

The situation quickly escalated and there were several explosions during the firefighting work. Six firefighters were injured and had to be taken to Lienz Hospital. Over 170 firefighters from 13 different fire departments are now on duty, including disaster relief trains from Upper Carinthia, Kitzbühel and Kufstein, to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading to surrounding buildings. The fire has now spread to the entire hall, as Elmar Rizzoli, the head of the Tyrolean Center for Crisis and Disaster Management, said, and extinguishing the fire is proving to be extremely difficult.

Flying parts and dangerous smoke

The population was urged to avoid the area due to the risk of flying debris. The police also advised people to close windows and doors and, if possible, not to stay outside. The dense clouds of smoke pose an additional risk that is of concern to both firefighters and residents.

The extinguishing work is only taking place under limited conditions as the firefighters had to withdraw at times. Fire departments are now using long-range water cannons to combat the flames from a greater distance. A shifting wind also creates additional challenges that emergency services cannot underestimate. According to Puls24, the city has already triggered the AT alert in several communities, including Nußdorf-Debant, Lienz-Stadt and the surrounding area.

Fire service operations and statistics

Over the last few years, the challenges facing firefighters and fire protection in urban areas throughout Austria have changed. Studies by CTIF have shown that the way fires are dealt with in urban centers is influenced by political, cultural and technical events. In view of the current incident, the importance of well-organized firefighting is once again clearly underlined. Over the last 100 years, both the number of fires and the associated risks have increased.

The emergency services have been fighting the flames for hours and are trying to bring the situation under control. The next update on the situation is eagerly awaited, while the safety of citizens remains the top priority.