Swiss forest fire dies down, but further flare-ups can’t be ruled out
Fires which broke out three weeks ago in southern Switzerland have stabilised enough to allow a return to normality, authorities have said.
In the last few days, firefighters have found just isolated embers and emergency work is gradually winding down, authorities said on Friday evening.
On July 17 large fires broke out in the mountains above Bitsch in the canton of Valais, leading to the temporary evacuation of over 200 locals.
+ Swiss forests: threatened by fires, drought, and invasive species
However, new fires still cannot be ruled out, as embers hidden in the ground can often re-ignite months later, authorities said. The fire brigade is to keep a ten-strong unit on alert, while equipment such as a mobile water tank will also remain on site. A helicopter can also be requested at short notice if necessary.
The army, which was also involved in operations, will carry out its final surveillance flight – equipped with thermal imaging equipment – on Monday.
+ How heat resistant drones tackle forest fires
Civil protection staff will meanwhile continue to operate a fire watch, and forestry experts are to analyse the newly increased risk of erosion after heavy rainfall.
In total some 132 hectares were affected by the fire, of which 35 hectares were rocky terrain.
About three-quarters of the trees – mostly spruces – in the affected forest area were burned.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.