In the fight against the ongoing risk of forest fires, the Ticino authorities have expanded their repertoire of measures: in addition to the rules already in force, everyone who is in the forest must now carry a fire blanket.
You may have guessed it: fire blankets are not compulsory in Ticino – April, April! Much hot air about nothing? Not quite. The risk of forest fires in Ticino is very high and the fires are often caused by outsiders. Therefore, before your next trip, be sure to check the current risk situation at https://www.waldbrandhazard.ch/ and behave accordingly. stay safe
The persistent drought in the Swiss sun Tessin, is a big plus for the region from the perspective of climbers. The dark side of the rare rainfall are forest fires. Quite often, careless tourists are to blame, as reported by various media (St. Galler Tagblatt of March 11: "Swiss Germans set fire to Ticino forests."). In order to deal with the ongoing risk of forest fires, the Ticino authorities have decided on another measure that came into force on March 31.03.2023, XNUMX: The Fire blanket obligation.
Fire blankets are compulsory in Ticino: watch the contribution from our latest programme
What is the fire blanket requirement?
As of this morning, all people who are in the forest as part of their leisure activities or in the exercise of their professional activity are obliged to carry a fire blanket. The authorities hope that these measures will be able to nip potential fires in the bud.
Special rule for groups of five or more people
Groups of five or more are permitted to carry one fire extinguisher instead of five individual fire blankets. With regard to the greater potential of fire extinguishers for the first fire, officials even explicitly welcome it if larger groups prefer fire extinguishers to fire blankets.
What does fire blanket obligation mean for outdoor sports enthusiasts?
Since most of the climbing and bouldering areas in Ticino are surrounded by forests, the sport of climbing and everyone who practices it is pretty directly affected. That means: A fire blanket belongs in the rope bag or between the bouldering mat from now on.
In order to make the implementation of the measure as easy as possible, fire blanket containers were set up in most of the parking lots of the popular climbing and bouldering areas. If you don't bring your own or have forgotten your own, you can get a fire blanket there at the usual market price.
controls announced
As is known from other regulations that are already in force, such as the driving ban to the Cresciano bouldering area, the Ticino authorities have announced controls.
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Credits: Cover picture Matt Howard | Unsplash