Coimbatore forest fire brought under control

COIMBATORE: Nearly a week after a massive fire broke out in the hilly forest terrain in Coimbatore outskirts on April 11; the forest department has managed to bring the fire under control through its sustained efforts.

Even though the fire has been doused, largely with the deployment of a helicopter by IAF in the fire fighting operations on Sunday, the burning continues in some patches in the Madukkarai forest range.

“Fire has been brought under control in up to 95 per cent of the area. Our staff were fighting hard to put off the embers to ensure that they did not trigger fresh fires. Grass patches and bushes in hundreds of acres were burnt in the fire,” said an official of the forest department.

More than 200 staff, from the Coimbatore forest division and as well from Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Nilgiris forest division were involved in the challenging task. Also, a team from the Salem forest division joined the existing staff on Monday morning to douse the raging fire.

“Around 200 staff of the forest department, who climbed up the hill on Sunday early morning at 5.30 am, had toiled hard to restrain the spread of fire to return only on Monday morning.

Eventually, another batch of 200 staff went up the hill to continue the firefighting activity. We did not seek the deployment of IAF choppers on Monday as the fire had almost been brought under control,” added the official.