Srinagar, Oct 5: Massive forest fire broke out in the upper reaches of Zabarwan Range near Kral Sangri on Monday, sending towering plumes of smoke and flames into the sky that were visible from several parts of Srinagar.
By evening the blaze could be clearly seen from Harwan, Brein, Dalgate and several Downtown localities, with thick smoke rising from the mountain slopes. Residents said the fire appeared to spread rapidly across the dry vegetation.“It was frightening to watch the flames which kept advancing across the hill and the smoke covered a large portion of the skyline,” said a resident of Harwan.Another local from Brein said recurring forest fires have become a worrying trend this year and called for stronger preventive measures.
The incident comes after weeks of dry weather, with officials repeatedly cautioning that prolonged dry conditions have made forests highly vulnerable to fires. Throughout the year, several forest fire incidents have been reported across theDachigam-Harwan-Zabarwan belt, with many blazes occurring in difficult and inaccessible terrain.An official of the Fire and Emergency Services Department said the department received information about the blaze on Monday evening. “There is no motorable road leading to the affected area. We immediately coordinated with the Forest Department after receiving the information. The Forest Department is also working on the issue and necessary steps will be taken accordingly,” the official said
Fire and Emergency Services officials had earlier said that personnel often have to trek on foot to reach inaccessible forest areas where fire tenders cannot operate. The department has also issued repeated advisories asking visitors and trekkers not to light fires, burn grass or leave behind burning material while cooking in forest areas.Environmental experts said recurring fires pose a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem, destroying vegetation, damaging flora and fauna, and increasing the risk of long-term ecological degradation across the Zabarwan landscape. Residents urged authorities to strengthen surveillance and preventive measures to safeguard the ecologically sensitive forest range.
