Baramulla, Feb 24: A massive fire broke out on Friday evening in Rampur Rajpora tourist destination of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The incident occurred in compartment 35 of Kenusa Block in Rampura Rajpora area at around 5 pm,officials said.
Forest Range Officer Mohd Altaf Dar informed Rising Kashmir that the fire was quickly contained by firefighting teams dispatched to the area immediately after the incident occured..
He said that the fire and emergency services, forest officials and Forest Protection Force staff, along with local youth, worked tirelessly to douse off the flames. Fire tenders also reached the spot to assist in the efforts, official said
“The fire was brought under control without any further damage to the forest ecosystem,” Forest Range officer said.
An official however said that a plant nursery in the area received minor damage due to long grass.
The forest officials suspect that the people grazing sheep may have lit the fire or put on a cigarette, which led to the incident.
Officials said that no casualties or injuries were reported in the incident. “The area has dense bushes and long grass, making it susceptible to such incidents,” officials said.
According to an official, Rampur Rajpur is a popular tourist destination, and hundreds of people visit the area regularly. The official suspects that some unidentified youth may have lit a bonfire or cigarette, which caused the fire incident in the forest area.
“Our teams will assess the loss and damage caused by the fire soon,” Forest Range officer Sopore said.
Meanwhile, the forest officials have lauded the efforts of the firefighting teams and local youth for their swift action in controlling the fire.
