Fire in Upper Valais – forest fire in Bitsch VS still not under control – News

  • The extinguishing work on the forest fire in Upper Valais continues.
  • According to head of operations Mario Schaller, the situation is not yet under control. There are still isolated small fires.
  • A total of 205 people from the hamlets of Oberried and Ried-Mörel were temporarily evacuated.
  • The authorities have set up a restricted zone in the area around the forest fire.

The fire should no longer spread further, said Schaller at the media conference. The extinguishing work would have an effect, but the fire was “not yet under control”. The forest floor is still very dry, the rain was not enough, said Schaller.

Three larger and two smaller helicopters have been in use since early Tuesday morning. Later, two army machines were added. Schaller explained that not all seven helicopters would carry out fire-fighting flights at the same time, but would take turns.

The forest fire is to be fought on Tuesday until late in the evening. The number of helicopters deployed at night had to be reduced for safety reasons, according to the head of operations. “We still have to use the time to keep the situation stable.”

The head of operations announced technical aids for firefighting from Wednesday. A system for heat analysis of the affected area had been ordered by the army. Thermal imaging cameras will also be installed. “In this way we can fight fires in a targeted manner,” said Schaller.

According to the head of operations, around 100 firefighters from all over the canton of Valais are involved in the extinguishing work. In addition, around 20 people from civil defense and about 20 police officers are on duty.

From Wednesday, the army will also send militia members to fight the forest fire in Upper Valais. They should help to discover embers.

No injuries and no destroyed houses

All houses in the affected area remained intact, said Schaller. To do this, the emergency services on the ground removed flammable objects around the houses and wet the meadows with water. “Thank God there is a large distance between the houses and the forest in the area.” There were also no injured people or animals.

Schaller estimates the fire area at around 100 hectares. “The operation will drag on for days and weeks. You also have to dig up trees to put out so-called stick fires, »said the head of operations. Specialists like foresters are needed for this. There are many offers of help for this.

Some of the evacuees can return to houses


open box
close the box

The 205 evacuees who did not stay with relatives were cared for in a gym and accommodated in a civil protection facility, as Edgar Kuonen, Mayor of Bitsch, explained. For a part, he had good news on Tuesday. 150 people from Ried-Mörel can go back to their homes in the evening.

“Specialists see no danger at the moment.” The situation could change again, he said.

“It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride,” said Kuonen, looking back at the past 24 hours. He had experienced critical voices about the deployment and the evacuation. “On the other hand, I felt an incredible wave of solidarity.” Several people would have offered their houses as accommodation for those affected.

A protective forest above Bitsch is also affected by the forest fire. It serves as a barrier against falling rocks and avalanches. Kuonen is a bit concerned about the winter. Experts from the canton have already taken a first look at the condition of the protective forest. “You have to decide: do you cut down the trees, do you leave them standing or do you need any artificial protective structures?” he said to the open questions.

According to an expert, the steep terrain in the forest fire area, the drought and the persistent wind accelerated the rapid spread of the fire. “It’s like in a chimney,” said forest fire expert Marco Conedera from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL of the Keystone-SDA news agency. In such conditions, small fires are enough and a situation can quickly spiral out of control.

Forests burned so often in Switzerland


open box
close the box

According to the WSL forest fire database «Swissfire», between 2000 and 2022 there were an average of 108 forest fires per year in Switzerland. On average, an area of ​​around 157 hectares burned each year, which corresponds to an area of ​​around 220 football pitches. In an international comparison, this is considered a low incidence of forest fires.

People are often to blame

In general, humans are by far the most common cause of forest fires. The WSL estimates that around 90 percent of fires in Switzerland are caused directly or indirectly by humans.

Carelessness such as discarded smoking products, poorly extinguished fires or hot catalytic converters from cars or motorcycles parked in the forest, but also arson can cause fires. In the summertime, lightning strikes also lead to forest fires.

Wind made extinguishing work difficult

The fire broke out in Bitsch below the Massaweg later on Monday afternoon. The fire was reported to the police just before 5 p.m.

Also because a strong wind was blowing in the Rhone Valley, the flames spread quickly in the dry area in the direction of the Riederhorn. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The public prosecutor’s office has started investigations against unknown persons.

source site-72