A large forest fire broke out on Monday in a tourist area in southern Switzerland. Residents of two villages have been evacuated and more than 150 firefighters have been deployed to fight the blaze.
Residents of the villages of Bitsch and Fiesch have been evacuated, the police said. Authorities warn of falling boulders. It is not yet clear how many square meters are on fire, but there is “a large fire with a lot of smoke”, reports a police spokesman.
More than 150 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire. They receive help from four fire-fighting helicopters. The military is sending an extra helicopter to the area.
Firefighting operations will continue Tuesday morning. Strong winds fan the flames and make extinguishing difficult.
According to Swiss broadcaster SRF it is a tourist area. The fire takes place in the canton of Valais, on the border with Italy.
In particular, the police asks all foreign guests to follow the instructions of the police and the fire brigade and not to go for a walk in the affected area.
2023-07-18 06:57:56
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