- In the hills of Gambarogno on Lake Maggiore, the forest has been burning since early Sunday morning.
- The fire is now raging over an area of six hectares, according to the Ticino cantonal police.
- Late on Sunday evening, 32 people had to be brought to safety in the village of Indemini.
The evacuation took place in consultation with the municipal authorities and for security reasons because of the thick smoke, the Ticino canton police wrote on Monday night.
13 residents of the Ri, Pezze and Boè fractions had previously had to leave their homes. A civil defense facility was made available to those of the 45 evacuees who could not find shelter with relatives.
Border crossing closed
Because of the fire, the border crossing to Italy near Indemini and the cantonal road through the forest fire area were closed for safety reasons. Firefighters from Gambarogno and Bellinzona are on duty, supported by three helicopters and a Super Puma helicopter from the army. Contact was made with the Italian authorities, according to the Ticino cantonal police.
According to the radio and television of Italian Switzerland, the forest fire broke out early Sunday morning. The Gambarogno fire brigade confirmed the operation on Facebook in the afternoon. She asked the population not to drive through the area affected by the flames so as not to hinder the extinguishing work.
Due to the drought, there has been a ban on fires outdoors in Ticino for around two weeks. Strong foehn gusts continue to heat up the fire.