Fire and Rescue Services personnel and Forest staff dousing a forest fire that broke out near Odappallam area in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Close to six hectares of forest have been destroyed in a fire in Sulthan Bathery Forest Range under the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday noon.
Accumulation of fuels like dried bamboo pods, high temperatures, heavy wind, and withered undergrowth reportedly caused the fire to spread.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The incident was reported around 12.30 p.m. on the day near a tribal hamlet at Puthuveedu near Odappallam under the Naikkatty section of the forest, Warden Abdul Assis told The Hindu.
However, the timely intervention of Forest officials and personnel of the Fire and Rescue Services prevented the fire from spreading, he said.
Close to 100 Forest department staff members, including forest watchers, and 12 members of the Fire and Rescue Services took nearly four hours to douse the fire, P. Nidheesh Kumar, station officer, Fire and Rescue Services station, Sulthan Bathery, said.
Accumulation of fuels like dried bamboo pods after the massive blooming of the plant a few years ago, high temperatures owing to the dearth of summer rain, heavy wind, and withered undergrowth, caused the fire to spread rapidly, he said.
The officials managed to bring the fire under control by around 4.30 p.m. by pumping water with three fire tender machines and using manual fire beaters, he said.
It was reported that lower mammals and reptiles sustained injuries in the fire.
