Srinagar: A massive forest fire raging in the Bagtore area near the Line of Control in Gurez valley of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district continued on the fourth day on Sunday. The fire has destroyed a large stretch of forest, damaging a significant number of trees, officials said.
According to officials, joint teams of the Forest, Wildlife department, Indian Army, and police together with the local volunteers have been working to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby areas.
Officials said the fire originated in Forest Compartment 32, a remote and hilly location close to the LoC. Dry grass and dense undergrowth fuelled the flames, causing the fire to spread rapidly, hampering early containment efforts.
Forest Officer Javid Iqbal said efforts are on to douse the fire. He said the steep hill terrain has made firefighting extremely difficult.
“There is no road connectivity to the site and fire tenders cannot reach the area. Our teams are relying entirely on manual methods to control the fire,” Iqbal said.
He said that despite difficult conditions, personnel from all departments are continuing operations on the ground with full commitment to bring the fire completely under control.
“The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. A detailed assessment will be carried out once the fire is completely controlled,” he added. (KNT)
