Bern firefighters train for forest fires in Valais

Swiss broadcaster SRF reported that 32 fire service officers from across the canton of Bern are training to fight forest fires in steep, difficult terrain during a two day exercise in the Eyholzwald forest above Visp in Valais.

The exercise covers both the theory and practice of forest fire response. Dry summers have increased the risk of forest fires in the canton of Bern, while Valais fire services have dealt with three major forest fires in recent decades in Leuk in 2003, Visp in 2011 and Bitsch in 2023.

David Hofmann, a staff member of the fire service covering Brügg, Aegerten, Scheuren, Schwadernau and Studen, said the Seeland region was also becoming drier. He said he was taking the course so he could train his own firefighters for a potential emergency.

Forest fires in steep terrain require different tactics from house fires, Hofmann said. Firefighters must deal with inaccessible ground, vegetation and different types of wood, as well as the use of a firefighting helicopter.

During the exercise, Beat Mösching of the Saanen fire service took charge of the operation. A temporary coordination problem arose when the helicopter coordinator moved higher up the forest instead of staying beside the incident commander. After the issue was addressed, the helicopter dropped water accurately on the simulated fire and the situation was brought under control.

Mösching said the course had been helpful. The large number of firefighters needed at a forest fire could quickly make an operation more confusing, he said, adding that he had learned that a forest fire was a much bigger operation than a house fire.

Christian Bieri, head of training at the Bern cantonal fire inspectorate, organised the course. He said the training sessions in Valais had taken place for the first time but would not be the last. Further courses are already planned at the Eyholzwald forest above Visp next year.