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”.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/RTS/gw
Português
pt
Seca fora de época provoca Incêndios florestais na Suíça
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.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
This content was published on
Switzerland has made progress in flood damage prevention, but the risk of high water levels remains real, according to a leading hydrologist.
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.