A massive fire erupted in the Bali-Tirchi forest range in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district, continuing to rage due to strong winds on Wednesday.
The fire began in compartment number 67 of the Bali-Tirchi forest range and rapidly spread because of the strong winds, eventually reaching ward number 2 of Upper Bali panchayat.
Officials reported that two houses were completely gutted, and two others were partially damaged by the blaze.
Upon receiving information about the fire, personnel from the forest department, a team from the SDRF, the Indian Army’s Defence fire service, and the NDRF rushed to the scene.
Efforts to control the flames are ongoing, but strong winds continue to fuel the blaze, officials stated.
Udhampur Forest Division Range Officer Sanjeev Khajuria reported that the forest fire broke out between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm in compartment number 67 of the Udhampur Forest Range.
“After receiving the information, our teams rushed to the spot and initially managed to control the blaze. However, strong gusty winds in the evening caused the fire to spread rapidly to a residential area, resulting in two houses being completely damaged and two partially damaged,” the Range Officer explained.
He added that personnel from the forest department, Forest Protection Force, SDRF, Indian Army, and the fire and emergency department, along with local residents, are working hard to control the blaze.
