Fire ravages 60 acres of Nanmangalam forest

Schools and shops in Medavakkam were closed after thick smoke engulfed the locality. The residents were also vacated from their houses due to pungent smell and irritation caused by the fire.

According to Tambaram fire station sources, the fire has spread to about 60 acres of the sprawling 320-hectare forest.

“The public also helped to douse the fire and the forest area is not protected. Residents of Medavakkam had to suffer the smoke till Monday night and the traffic was affected throughout the evening,” said K Govardhana Giri, a resident of Medavakkam. “I used to listen to birds call, every day, but now there is silence from Nanmangalam. The scene of a fire ravaged Nanmangalam is disturbing,” Giri added.

Normalcy returned in the area after four hours of fire fighting with the residents contributing continuous water supply through mini tankers.