- The forest fire in Upper Valais is still not under control, as a spokesman for the Bitsch (VS) community management team said on Wednesday morning.
- However, the situation is “stable”.
- The fire broke out later Monday afternoon. 205 people were temporarily evacuated.
Two helicopters were deployed during the night. Because of a thunderstorm, they had to interrupt the work for a while. In the morning, up to five helicopters would be used to extinguish the fire, the spokesman said.
On Tuesday evening, the authorities registered around 300 fires affecting around 100 hectares of forest. This corresponds to an area of about 140 football pitches. There were no injured people or animals and no damage to the building, the authorities said. The municipalities of Bitsch and Riederalp have set up a restricted zone in the area of the forest fire.
Army sends specialists
The army will send specialists to fight the forest fire from Wednesday. They should help to discover embers. On the ground, fire-fighting specialists from the Engineering/Rescue/ABC training association and infantry servants with two specially equipped vehicles support the civilian emergency services, as the army announced on Tuesday evening.
Due to the fires of tree stumps, trees also have to be dug up. Specialists are needed for this task in steep terrain, as explained by fire brigade operations manager Mario Schaller.
Fire area to be analyzed
As of today, Wednesday, another army Supa Puma helicopter will also be deployed. A system of infrared cameras mounted on the helicopter can be used to create maps of the heat zones. The extinguishing water can thus be drained with pinpoint accuracy. According to Schaller, the specialists will start recording on Thursday morning.
Forest fire in Upper Valais
A favorable development of the wind prevented the flames from spreading to the east, so that the evacuation of Riederalp could be avoided. The worst possible scenario feared on Monday evening did not materialize. “But as long as the smoke has not disappeared, there will be no relaxation,” warned the fire brigade commander.
By Tuesday afternoon, the wind had picked up again, fueling the fires again. Seven helicopters were deployed and took turns on the fire-fighting flights. After dark, the number of machines used had to be reduced for safety reasons.
Around 100 firefighters were deployed to fight the fire, as well as 25 members of the civil defense and a dozen police officers. Firefighters anticipate fighting the blaze for several more days or even weeks. Because: The potential for spread still exists, the authorities told the media in Bitsch on Tuesday evening.