Forest fires multiply as drought persists in Switzerland

Five helicopters battled the forest fire in Centovalli, Ticino, and managed to get it under control on Saturday, police said. Keystone / Samuel Golay

The southern canton of Ticino has been hardest hit by forest fires as a drought that began in early December has prompted several regions to raise their wildfire risk levels to “severe”.

Authorities in Centovalli in Ticino were able to bring a large forest fire under control as winds died down on Saturday. The fire, which began four days earlier, destroyed a total of 55 hectares and forced the evacuation of 21 people from the municipality of Verdasio. Two homes above the village were damaged.

In canton Basel-Country, first responders managed to prevent a forest fire from spreading in Grellingen on Friday. Early indications are the fire began on dry forest floor because of human activity, either intentional or negligent, police said.

Firefighters put out another fire on Friday, this time in canton Vaud, where nearly a hectare of forest burned.

The large fire in Centovalli is the third forest fire in Ticino this year. Fires raged for more than two weeks in January in Monte Gambarogno and in the Muggio Valley in the south. The forest fire risk level currently stands at 4 (out of 5) in Ticino as well as in canton Uri in central Switzerland and some southern regions of Graubünden in the east of the country.

The risk level is 2 out of 3 in Vaud. In several other cantons, including Bern, Fribourg, Lucerne, and Jura, the risk level was upgraded to “severe” on Thursday as the mercury rose well above the seasonal average.

A meteorologist with MéteoSuisse warned the level of precipitation in Switzerland was “critical”. At most measuring stations, water levels were less than 25% the normal flow at this time of year, Aude Untersee toldExternal linkLa Liberté newspaper.

The authorities are urging the population to avoid making a fire in or near a forest and to not throw cigarette butts and matches out in the open.