CHENNAI: With the summer heat in Chennai getting higher each passing day, Perumbakkam marsh, part of the Pallikaranai marshland, caught fire on Thursday night.
While residents attribute the cause for the fire to high temperature, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department is yet to ascertain the exact reason.
Deepak, a resident of the locality, told DT Next that the fire started around 9 pm behind Sholinganallur Aavin. "The burning spot is the roosting site of Harriers and nesting site for several ground nesting birds," the resident added.
He urged the Forest Department to give sufficient attention to the fire and bring the fire under control.
According to Tamil Nadu fire and Rescue Services personnel who attended to the fire, the situation was under control and the blaze would be doused in two hours.
On Wednesday, a fire had broken out at a vacant land near Meenambakkam railway station. That, too, was suspected to be made worse by the heat that has left the vegetation dry.