20160325 India Fire breakout at three pockets of Yeoor forest Range
India Mar 25 2016 “Forest”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire breakout at three pockets of Yeoor forest Range
Updated: 2016-03-25-12:07
While lake-city denizens stayed up all night celebrating the victory of good over evil on Wednesday, three pockets of the city’s oxygen mask – the Yeoor forest – were left blazing. In addition to these three fires, this range saw as many as six other forest fires in the last one week.
Forest officials believe that these three fires, which occurred in parts of the forest range near Chena creek, Yeoor Base and Kavesar, could be the result of attempts to cut firewood to kick-start the festival of Holi.
“The fires started one after the other in three different spots making it difficult for our team to figure out whether it started due to natural causes or because of human interference. However, with the incidents rising just before Holi, there is a high possibility of locals starting small fires at the root of trees here to weaken them, and then use them as logs for the burning ceremony. These small fires could have aggravated because of the high temperature and wind currents in the evening,” said Sanjay Waghmode, the forest range officer as Yeoor range.
The speed at which the fires were spreading, their distance from each other and the primitive fire-fighting techniques compelled the department to rope in the assistance of all the officials on duty as well as locals here.
“While we have a team of 13 fire watchers who usually tend to these fires, we had to include our front line staff of about 40 members including forest guards, labourers, forest officials, etc to help us beat the grass-level fire. As we use traditional techniques of beating this fire with brooms made out of green plants and leaves, it took us four to five hours to put the fire to rest. A few locals joined in to help us too,” Waghmode said.
“This peak season of forest fires made us realise how understaffed we are. I will be putting in a request for modern technology like fire blowers, as well as a request for more staff members,” he added.
Web Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/Fire-breakout-at-three-pockets-of-Yeoor-forest-Range/articleshow/51547654.cms