Raging fires keep forest staff on toes

Ambika Sharma

Solan, May 30

With Solan and Kasauli witnessing temperatures ranging from 38°C to 34°C, forest fires are at their worst.

BBN play schools closed

Solan: Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma today ordered the closure of all government and private play schools as well as Anganwadi centres till June 4.

• The orders, applicable all summer, detail the closing of schools which lie in the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh (BBN) industrial belt, as well as some areas lying in its vicinity.
• The BBN belt has been registering above-normal temperatures ranging from 39°C to 42°C for the past few days. Intense heatwave has been lashing the industrial belt since the last fortnight, making it difficult for schoolchildren to venture out during the day.
• The DC had yesterday ordered the closure of all primary schools till June 4 in the district in view of the heatwave and forest fires. TNS

No stretch of pine-laden forests has been left untouched by flames in the last few days. This has further increased the temperature of the area.

Forest fires continue to wreak havoc over Kasauli, with residents of Rajindra Lines in Kasauli cantonment vacating their houses after a massive blaze threatened their homes today.

The fire, which had erupted in the town last night, failed to be doused and spread perilously to habitations this morning, forcing defence authorities to direct residents to vacate their houses. It was brought under control after several hours of intense firefighting.

Another blaze, which had occurred near the Central Research Institute last evening, also caused chaos as it burnt the entire forest floor. Women and children were asked to vacate their houses and were housed in a guest house till the blaze was doused.

Yet another fire erupted at Mashobra near Government Senior Secondary School today.

A massive fire was also seen in the forested area of new Kather in Solan this evening.

Hills around Solan were seen simmering with uncontrolled blaze, with several hectares left charred, destroying the flora and fauna of the forest.

Several fires have been occurring on the Dharampur-Sanawar road, where pine trees were spotted burnt. The road remained smoke-filled throughout the day, hitting visibility last afternoon.

Smoke was also seen billowing from the valley below Monkey Point in Kasauli as pine needles burnt in the dry weather. The forest fires added to the woes of area residents, who were already greatly inconvenienced by the rising temperatures.

Over 200 ground fires and more than 30 major fires have occurred in Solan forest division this season so far.

With no end to the hot and dry weather predicted for the next few days, residents fear that even more forest fires are imminent.

These forest fires can be triggered by something as trivial as a callously thrown lit cigarette or an unattended fire started to burn waste, according to locals.

Solan Divisional Forest Officer Hitender Gupta said the staff was on its toes as cases of forest fires poured in rapidly. He appealed to the residents not to indulge in any act of callousness that could lead to fires.

Driving along the roads has also become risky as

forest fires are simmering on the forest floor close to roads of the area. A sudden gush of wind is enough to spread the fire, which can set ablaze vehicles driving on or parked along roads.

Cases of fire erupting due to electrical short-circuits have also come to the fore, causing standing crop to been burnt in the fields.