This is a picture (from Wikimedia) from the Höllengebirge at the Lake Attersee, where I have rented a summer apartment. It is right in front of the Höllengebirge, where the rock wall is really steep. In From Financial Doldrums to Storm I have made pictures from our old wooden boathouse.Surprisingly enough, some spruces and pines manage to grow in each gap they find in the rock. Between the rock and the lake spreads a nature reserve with beautiful old trees .. We like to hike through this woods for hours. Some of then paths have been used by the Gustavs - Klimt and Mahler.
The last few weeks were hot and dry. And the broken branches got a consistence of "kindling". Last friday the forest caught fire in the altitude of 600 m - 300 m from us, right at the border line of the wood and the rock wall. Will it burn down or up? Depends on the wind I thought. But the fire brigades (10 with over 200 people) have built a barrier in the wood with water reservoirs via pipes from the lake ..
But how to extinguish the fire in the rock? Helicopters (military and police) flew 3 days ladling water from the lake into 3 ton buckets and sprayed it over the fire. On and on. It was breath taking. I have no idea what optimal risk is in such a case - I just realized that glowing stones and burning trees falling down can induce a disaster. They wanted to avoid ...
So, the helicopter crews, the fire brigade men .. took enormous risk to save "my" woods, "my" flat and "my" old wooden boat house - the powerhouse of my weekend recreation. Thank you!
