Pine forest fire in Dharamsala causes scare

DHARAMSALA: As temperatures soared in the area pine forests near Dharamsala caught fire today. Forest fire broke out at pine forest near War Memorial in the heart of Dharamsala causing scare among the residents of colonies near head office of Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE).

A fireman tries to control a raging forest fire in Dharamsala on Wednesday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 26

As temperatures soared in the area pine forests near Dharamsala caught fire today. Forest fire broke out at pine forest near War Memorial in the heart of Dharamsala causing scare among the residents of colonies near head office of Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE).

Fire tenders in Dharamsala had to work overtime to control the fire from spreading in residential areas and buildings near the War Memorial. The fire was caused due to huge dumps of dried up pine needles that have piled in the area and are highly inflammable.

The Department of Forests had been planting pine trees in forest area in the past few decades due to better survival rate of the trees. Today pine forests comprise about 20 per cent of the total forest area of the Dharamsala circle of the Forest Department.

There are about 27,910 hectare Pine forests in Dharamsala circle of the Forest Department.

The pine forests have created problems both for the farmers as well as the forest department. Pine trees have allelopathic impact. Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which pine trees produce bio chemicals that do not allow any kind of vegetation growth in the surroundings. There is hardly any undergrowth of grass in the pine forests.

Besides, there is generally very heavy deposition of dried up pine needles under the trees. These needles are highly inflammable and easily catch fire, especially during summers when the temperatures are high. Farmers generally set fire in pine forests with a hope that in the forthcoming monsoons there would be growth of grass that can be used as fodder for animals.

The possible solution to prevent fire in pine forests is the removal of dried up pine needles from the under growth. Dried pine needles have a very high combustible value. Technology is available for converting dried pine needles into combustible bricks. Already pine needles are being used in kilns in cement plants in Solan district. However, the use is very limited.