Firefighters battle to control Swiss Alps forest blaze
A hundred firefighters were battling to control a forest blaze in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday, though some villagers
were allowed to return having been evacuated the night before.
The fire broke out Monday in a forest above the village of Bitsch in the upper Valais region in southern Switzerland. It broke out on the north side of the steep Rhone river valley.
"A major intervention system was quickly put in place," Valais police said in a statement.
Local firefighters were joined by civilian and military helicopters. Initially 150 firefighters were on the scene.
Bitsch / Ried-Mörel - Incendie de forêt
Les pompiers ainsi que deux hélicoptères combattent actuellement l'incendie - La route Ried-Mörel est fermée jusqu'à nouvel ordre. La population de la région est invitée à fermer portes et fenêtres.
Informations suivront.#brandbitsch pic.twitter.com/lvEuhpZVT3
— Police Valais (@PoliceValais) July 17, 2023
State broadcaster RTS, citing the Valais police, said 205 people had been evacuated. Around 150 residents of Ried-Moerel were allowed to return home later on Tuesday.
Police said the blaze affected around 100 hectares of forest on the mountain slopes, and although it is too early to assess the exact extent of the fire, "some areas of the forest seem to have been spared".
In the coming days, fire crews will be backed up by infra-red cameras able to detect hotspots which can then be targeted.
"There is no evidence that people or animals were affected," police said, while the first reconnaissance flights on Tuesday found that no buildings appear to have been damaged.
Local fire chief Mario Schaller said the fire had "gradually stabilised", Switzerland's ATS news agency reported.
The wind in the valley typically picks up in the afternoons, fanning the flames.
"As long as the smoke has not disappeared, there will be no let-up," said Schaller.
Firefighters expect to have to fight the last of the fire for several days or potentially even weeks.
National broadcaster RTS described it as the worst fire in the region for 12 years.
Police said an investigation had been opened to determine what caused the blaze.
Europe braced for new high temperatures on Tuesday, as relentless heatwaves and wildfires scorched swathes of the Northern Hemisphere.
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The fire broke out Monday in a forest above the village of Bitsch in the upper Valais region in southern Switzerland. It broke out on the north side of the steep Rhone river valley.
"A major intervention system was quickly put in place," Valais police said in a statement.
Local firefighters were joined by civilian and military helicopters. Initially 150 firefighters were on the scene.
Bitsch / Ried-Mörel - Incendie de forêt
— Police Valais (@PoliceValais) July 17, 2023
Les pompiers ainsi que deux hélicoptères combattent actuellement l'incendie - La route Ried-Mörel est fermée jusqu'à nouvel ordre. La population de la région est invitée à fermer portes et fenêtres.
Informations suivront.#brandbitsch pic.twitter.com/lvEuhpZVT3
State broadcaster RTS, citing the Valais police, said 205 people had been evacuated. Around 150 residents of Ried-Moerel were allowed to return home later on Tuesday.
Police said the blaze affected around 100 hectares of forest on the mountain slopes, and although it is too early to assess the exact extent of the fire, "some areas of the forest seem to have been spared".
In the coming days, fire crews will be backed up by infra-red cameras able to detect hotspots which can then be targeted.
"There is no evidence that people or animals were affected," police said, while the first reconnaissance flights on Tuesday found that no buildings appear to have been damaged.
Local fire chief Mario Schaller said the fire had "gradually stabilised", Switzerland's ATS news agency reported.
The wind in the valley typically picks up in the afternoons, fanning the flames.
"As long as the smoke has not disappeared, there will be no let-up," said Schaller.
Firefighters expect to have to fight the last of the fire for several days or potentially even weeks.
National broadcaster RTS described it as the worst fire in the region for 12 years.
Police said an investigation had been opened to determine what caused the blaze.
Europe braced for new high temperatures on Tuesday, as relentless heatwaves and wildfires scorched swathes of the Northern Hemisphere.
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