PVTIME – Thirty-four Swiss firefighters have safely deployed to the Gironde department in France to assist with wildfire mitigation efforts. Supported by a fleet of 11 fire appliances, the cross-cantonal team comprises personnel from Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel and Haute-Savoie. Upon arrival in Cestas, near Bordeaux, the crew initiated site protection measures immediately and conducted overnight patrols to safeguard a major photovoltaic site exposed to wildfire hazards.
GSIS spokesperson Nicolas Millet verified the operational timelines during a telephone briefing on Sunday. The initial fire appliances arrived on the scene at 20:30, with the full team deployment finalised after 01:00 in the early hours of the morning. Emergency safeguarding on site successfully preserved most of the photovoltaic infrastructure, and all immediate response work was concluded by 06:00.
Swiss emergency personnel are now taking temporary rest breaks ahead of further operational tasks. Millet confirmed that the support mission is structured for long-term engagement and that on-site assistance is set to continue for at least one week, ruling out short-duration support operations.
France has submitted an official request for four light helicopters through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. According to Swiss media outlet RTS, national federal authorities are currently assessing the application, and no formal decision on the deployment of aerial support has been made to date.
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