Swiss forest fires: hang gliders trigger airspace restriction

A helicopter drops water on a burning forest around Bitsch on Thursday © Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

Swiss authorities have temporarily shut the airspace over a small part of southwestern Switzerland because recreational gliders have endangered the work of emergency teams battling a persistent forest fire in the area.

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) said on Friday that the restriction in an airspace of up to 2,500 metres above ground level, over a wooded mountainside near the town of Bitsch, will last a week.

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The measure affects civil aircraft and drones and is aimed “to protect the ongoing activities of response teams on the ground and in the air”, the office said on its websiteExternal link.

The closure affects about 40-50 square kilometres in an area that is popular with recreational gliders, a spokesman said.

Stable situation

The heads of local helicopter crews and firefighting squads requested the closure because of the dangers presented by the gliders to what was already risky work, he said.

Scores of firefighters, police, troops and other emergency teams, backed by helicopters, have deployed to battle the wildfire that was first reported on Monday. The move prompted authorities to temporarily evacuate residents of four villages and hamlets in the area.

Franz Mayr, a community leader in Bitsch, said the fire remained “small” – some 107 hectares have been affected – and the situation was stable, though strong winds continued.