Wildfire again damages forest land in Haripur

HARIPUR: Wildfire erupted in Makhniyal and the Khanpur ranges bordering Islamabad and damaged small and mature trees in a vast area of private and reserved forests, locals and forest department officials said on Monday.

The fire started Sunday evening from the private property of forestland in Makhniyal and spread to reserved areas, causing damage to new and mature trees of different species. “Several acres of forest land were affected in the fire that erupted after a break of about two weeks,” said a local resident.

Locals said that a number of wild animals suffered and migrated to other areas due to the raging fire while two forest officials later identified as Khalid and Mahmood also suffered injuries and suffocation while extinguishing the wildfire. When contacted, the Sub Divisional Forest Officer Makhniyal range Zohaib Khan confirmed that the forest fire travelled to a reserved forest in the Kotla area of Makhniyal range and destroyed trees on a vast area.

He also confirmed the injuries to two of his officials who were engaged in putting out a blaze using the local methods as the department was short of modern techniques used in firefighting.

The official said that his staff was still busy fighting the wildfire and would be able to control it within the shortest possible time once the heavy winds stopped. He said that his staff was also busy determining the causes of forest fire and damage and that those responsible would be taken to task under the law.

Meanwhile, the wildfire also destroyed several acres of scrub forest and fruit trees in the hilly area of Khanpur Forest range overlooking village Sher Pari in Dartiyan village Council. According to Sifarish Khan, a resident of village Sher Pari, the fire erupted from the private forestland area of his village at around 2 pm on Sunday and spread with heavy winds to a vast area destroying hundreds of young and mature trees of Grinda, Sanatha, wild olive, etc.

He said the raging fire entered his orchard where it burned down his plum, apricot, walnut, and apple trees that were carrying fruit at an area of 6 kanals. He estimated his loss at hundreds of thousands of rupees. To a question, he said that over 100 villagers took part in the rescue operation and managed to put out the blaze after an effort of 8 hours and protected the village mosque and the residential area as the raging wildfire was fast approaching the village and could have proved disastrous, had the villagers waited for the support of forest officials who failed to even turn up there. He said the villagers used earth and water for dousing the fire.