Forest fire rages in Kangra's Nagrota Bagwan

A forest fire broke out in the pine forests near Rajiana village close to Nagrota Bagwan town in Kangra district, causing panic among people living in nearby areas. The fire started on Monday night and turned into a major blaze by Tuesday morning.

The district administration and forest department have deployed personnel to control the fire. Trenches have been dug and fire tenders are being used. However, the large buildup of pine leaves on the forest floor is making it difficult for the authorities to control the fire.

Pine forests are known to be a major cause of forest fires in the Dharamsala region. Over the past few decades, the forest department has planted pine trees widely due to their high survival rate. Today, pine forests cover around 27,910 hectares, or about 20 per cent of the total forest area in the Dharamsala forest circle.

Forest officials believe that most fires in pine forests are man-made, either started deliberately or by accident — often due to people throwing burning objects into the forest. The dry pine leaves make it easy for such fires to spread rapidly.