STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar/POONCH: Forest fires broke out at two places in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Thursday, officials said.
The fire was brought under control by the personnel and machinery of the Forest Department and the Fire and Emergency Services, they said.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kulgam, Syed Waseem Gull, said the fire incidents were reported from Pranhal and Chimber areas of the south Kashmir district in the evening.
Gull said mopping exercises have also been conducted to avoid the recurrence of the fire.
The officer appealed to the people to not take inflammable material near forests and to ensure that flames are completely doused after completing the exercise of making charcoal.
The Forest Department has issued an advisory warning of the heightened risk of forest fires in Jammu and Kashmir due to continuous dry weather.
“With dry winter conditions and increased human activity in forested areas, the potential for devastating blazes is significant which can cause loss of life and property, damage to soil fertility, biodiversity, and climate patterns and health hazards,” the department said.
“Don’t burn leaves, bushes, grass, stubble and debris near forest areas,” the advisory said. Meanwhile, a fire also erupted in a forest area along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Thursday, officials said. No casualty has been reported. Forest department officials were engaged in dousing the blaze, which has spread to several acres of land destroying trees and other forest material.
