The fire that ravaged the upper floors of the Glacier 3000 upper station all day Monday in Les Diablerets (VD), in the town of Ormont-Dessus, has been contained. But it will still take time to assess the damage and a possible reopening.
If there is still “a little smoke”, the fire is now extinguished, indicates the head of the Diablerets site of the SDIS Alpin (Leysin, Ormont-Dessus and Ormont-Dessous), captain Patrick Frutig, Tuesday in La Morning of the RTS. He adds that four firefighters spent the night there, at nearly 3,000 meters above sea level, to monitor the building.
>> Read more: Flames nearly brought under control at Glacier 3000 station
In all, three helicopters from Air Glacier and one from REGA were mobilized. Thirty firefighters were airlifted to the site. “The structure was cooled thanks to the helicopters which rotated between Lake Retaud and the upper station, transporting 600 to 800 liters of water each time”, explains Patrick Frutig.
The fire captain confirms that floors 3 and 4, which house the restaurant designed by Ticino architect Mario Botta and a self-service, have been “totally destroyed”.
The flames are brought under control at the Glacier 3000 station in Les Diablerets. [LAURENT GILLIERON – KEYSTONE]
The sword of Damocles over the winter season
Popular in both summer and winter, the top station of Glacier 3000 is served by a cable car from the Col du Pillon. It provides access to the Diablerets glacier ski area, but also to other activities such as a suspension bridge between two peaks and a summer toboggan run. Will the Glacier 3000 gondola be able to open this winter? The question is on everyone’s lips in the Vaud resort, but it remains, for the moment, unanswered.
“Luckily, the lower part of the building, with the cable car, was not affected”, reported the CEO of Glacier 3000, Bernhard Tschannen, Monday evening in Forum. “The cable car is working” and the building appears to be “pretty stable”, according to him. But checks must be carried out before considering a reopening. Specialists were dispatched to the scene.
The head of the Diablerets site of the SDIS Alpin believes that there will be a “big job” to ensure that the structure holds. “It’s going to be long. (…) At this altitude, you can’t build a building in the blink of an eye.”
Price increase?
For his part, Sergei Aschwanden, general manager of the Porte des Alpes tourist office, hopes that the fire has not affected the cables and the technique of the gondola “to allow skiers to come to the ski area. “.
He recalls that one franc generated by ski lifts represents six francs for a tourist destination. “With the Indian summer coming and the possibility of hiking, this will affect the operation of our tourist offer. If we have to sacrifice ourselves for two, four weeks or six weeks to operate the gondola during the winter , it’s worth it,” said Sergei Aschwanden, recalling that safety comes first.
The director of the Porte des Alpes Tourist Office does not rule out the possibility of an increase in prices, while specifying that he is not involved in operational management. “We are facing an energy crisis which is already causing costs to explode. (…) There are quite a few question marks and this fire adds one more.”
No one from the operation was in the building at the time of the fire and no one was injured. The Public Prosecutor was informed and the public prosecutor opened a criminal investigation to establish the causes of the incident. The police have launched an appeal for witnesses and advise against taking the footpaths to approach the place.
>> The full interview with Sergei Aschwanden:
Radio subjects: Gabriela Cabré and Valérie Hauert
Web adaptation: Valentin Jordil
Tags: Glacier station fire control uncertainty reopening remains rts .ch
