Swiss Air Force Deploys Seven Super Puma

Swiss Air Force, December 29, 2016 - Berne - The Swiss Air Force's large-scale deployment continues after five Super Puma helicopters were on their way this morning, now seven of them are fighting forest fires in Misox, Leventina and Calancatal.

Since today, Thursday, December 29, 2016, the Luftwaffe also uses the Super Puma helicopter for firefighting an the new forest fires in the Calancatal.

Thus, a total of seven helicopters are used to combat the fires: three in the forest fires of Soazza in the Misox - they are supported by three civilian helicopters of Heli Rezia SA - two in the forest fires near Chironico in the Leventina (TI) and two in the Calancatal.

The seven helicopters were sent from Alpnach and Dübendorf and are available for the whole Thursday - and depending on the situation also tomorrow Friday.

For safety reasons, air traffic zones have been created over the three fire zones by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA).

Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, head of the Federal Department of Defense, Population Protection and Sport (VBS), will visit the forest fires at Misox on Thursday.