ST. EGYDEN AM STEINFELD, Austria / RankWire.AI / – After a rapidly spreading forest fire broke out in the Föhrenwald pine woods near St. Egyden am Steinfeld, authorities in Lower Austria issued immediate evacuation orders on Friday. Local officials confirmed that a significant wildfire reached St. Egyden in Austria, with aggressive flames encroaching within 50 meters of residential neighborhoods, prompting the highest emergency alert, Level B4. Civil defense teams prioritized the swift relocation of residents along Bahnstraße and within the Waldstrandsiedlung housing development.
Coordination between municipal leaders and regional disaster response agencies led to the safe evacuation of at least 250 residents from danger zones. St. Egyden Mayor Christa Tisch verified that emergency personnel evacuated six homes on Bahnstraße and 50 units across five apartment complexes in the Waldstrandsiedlung. Those displaced were taken to a temporary shelter established at the Saubersdorf volunteer fire station, where humanitarian teams provided crisis support and essential supplies.
More than 700 firefighters from 84 regional fire departments across the districts of Neunkirchen and Wiener Neustadt responded quickly. Ground crews worked alongside specialized aerial units, deploying five police helicopters, two private commercial aircraft, and a Black Hawk helicopter supplied by the Austrian Armed Forces. The Austrian Red Cross mobilized 44 emergency personnel and 21 specialized vehicles to manage evacuations and assist affected residents.
Lower Austria Activates Level B4 Emergency Response as Wildfire Spreads
This incident marks the second destructive blaze in the Föhrenwald region within less than two weeks, following an earlier 100-hectare forest fire that required five days to contain. Disaster officials confirmed that the new fire started on the opposite side of the forest, with strong winds pushing dense smoke plumes across regional transportation routes. Authorities issued warnings urging drivers to avoid main roads near Neunkirchen to ensure unobstructed access for emergency responders.
Klaus Stebal, spokesperson for the Lower Austrian State Fire Department Association, confirmed that emergency personnel established a containment perimeter around the main fire to prevent its spread. Firefighters also tackled several smaller fires that ignited spontaneously in neighboring towns such as Strelzhof and Netting. Officials emphasized that strict shift rotations were enforced, limiting ground crews to no more than 12 consecutive hours of active firefighting during intense suppression efforts.
Emergency Medical Teams Report No Injuries During Initial Operations
Preliminary investigations launched by law enforcement agencies aim to determine the cause of the afternoon fire ignition. Authorities noted that the previous wildfire in the same pine forest was caused by legacy World War II phosphorus ammunition buried beneath the forest floor. Although no direct link has been established between the two incidents, environmental conditions throughout Lower Austria remain extremely dry, raising regional wildfire risks.
Throughout Friday evening, emergency services maintained continuous monitoring posts along the Föhrenwald perimeter to secure nearby residential areas. As the wildfire advances in St. Egyden, civil defense officials confirmed that no injuries were reported among residents or first responders during the initial evacuation. Engineers and forestry specialists plan to continue perimeter stabilization and hot-spot suppression operations in the coming days.