Three-day forest fire in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve finally contained
Forest personnel and villagers doused a three-day fire in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve's Kambathrayan Hill, damaging hundreds of acres of vegetation.
A forest fire that raged across the Kambathrayan Hill in the Kadambur Hills section of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) was finally brought under control on Thursday night, after a three-day battle involving forest staff and local residents.
The blaze, which ignited on Tuesday night, spread quickly across the steep slopes, scorching hundreds of acres of grass and other ground cover. Officials attributed the rapid spread to an accumulation of dry broom and lemon grass, combined with strong winds and elevated temperatures.
More than 100 personnel drawn from various forest ranges, supported by villagers from the area, took part in the firefighting operation. Because the rugged terrain was inaccessible to vehicles, the teams had to rely primarily on manual methods to create fire lines and beat back the flames.
K. Rajkumar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the STR, said the crews worked through high winds and heat to contain the fire. He noted that patrolling of the affected zone continued on Friday, with drones being used to assess the extent of vegetation loss. The presence of tall Seemar grass, along with the challenging topography, made the operation particularly difficult, he added.