The Fire Department Makes Slow Progress in Good Weather in Upper Valais
Published: Thursday, Jul 20th 2023, 18:40
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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Around 80 firefighters were making slow progress in the forest fire area above Bitsch in the Oberwallis on Thursday, despite help from the air and no increasing wind. Hopes are set on Friday, when thunderstorms and rain are expected. An army helicopter equipped with infrared cameras, the Super Puma, was used between 4am and 6am on Thursday. This allowed for a better understanding of the extent of the damage, according to Franz Mayr from the command staff of the Bitsch municipality. The helicopter will be used again on Friday morning from 6am. While the firefighters had been working on the edge of the forest on Wednesday to contain the damage, they were working inside the forest on Thursday, accompanied by foresters and specialists. They were carrying out tasks that they had not been able to do before, due to the wind, the danger of rocks and the fact that the ground was so hot that the soles of their shoes could melt. The extreme heat of the ground is still present, and the firefighters are moving slowly in the very difficult environment; they are exhausted and often have to take breaks, as Mayr emphasized. Six helicopters, including a Super Puma from the army, were tirelessly in use in those areas where no firefighters were on the ground. A flight assistant coordinated the operation. In Oberried, a command post was set up to avoid having to come down and lose time with unnecessary trips. Although the fire is still not under control, the situation is stabilizing and only smaller fires need to be brought under control. Rain is expected on Friday, but according to Marianne Giroud Gaillard, meteorologist at the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (Meteoswiss), the situation is very unstable and the probability is rather low. The fire above Bitsch and Ried-Mörel covers an area of about 100 hectares. According to the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), it will take 100 to 200 years for a coniferous forest like the one just burned to regrow.
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