Forest fire at SGNP, sixth in one week

The fire sparked off at around 3 pm at Pachpakadhi region in the Yeoor division.

About two hectares of forest land was charred by a forest fire on Saturday afternoon, which took place in the Yeoor division of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Forest officials and local villagers took more than three hours to douse the fire.

The fire sparked off at around 3 pm at Pachpakadhi region in the Yeoor division. “It took time to douse the fire as it broke out on a hilly terrain, which is difficult to reach. It was a ground fire, mainly burning grass and litter as there were not many big trees in the area,” said Sushant Salgaonkar, range forest officer, Yeoor division.

In the past one week, forest fires were detected in three regions in the Thane division and twice in the Raigad division. The Forest Survey of India sent a satellite image of the fire near Khopoli on Friday night to the officials. “The fires reported were mainly sheet fires where dried leaves burn. In 2013, not even one per cent area in the Thane division was destroyed in forest fires,” said K P Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Thane (Territorial).

According to forest officials, despite creating fire lines (a gap in vegetation that acts as a barrier to stop the progress of fire) in February every year, forest fires occurred especially in Thane, due to the thick cover of deciduous trees that shed leaves that acted as fuel.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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