On Monday 17 July 2023, a forest fire started in the municipality of Bitsch in the canton of Valais. Firefighters continue to work to bring the blaze under control and will continue through the weekend, reported SRF.
According to Valais Police the fire had covered an area of around 100 hectares by Tuesday. Six helicopters and around 100 firefighters have been deployed to bring the blaze under control.
It is unclear how the fire started. However, around 90% of fires are started by humans, mostly due to careless or negligence. The public prosecutor’s office in Oberwallis has launched an investigation.
Bitsch is in upper Valais beyond the town of Brig – see map here.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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