CHENNAI: Even as a forest fire damaged a significant portion of the reserve forest area in Pallikaranai marshland on Thursday night, the blaze resumed on Friday morning releasing a huge cloud of smoke.
Soon after the fire resumed, forest personnel were deployed to control it.
An initial investigation conducted by the state forest department has revealed that the fire started from a nearby patta land and spread to adjacent forest land as dry grass in the spot enabled the flames to spread quickly.
Meanwhile, A Saravanan, a Chennai district forest officer, said that an assessment of the forest fire was conducted on Friday morning and they found that "as there were no trees and only grass, the fire was only a ground fire."
"Around 2 hectares of forest land caught fire. The perambulation revealed no casualties of birds," he said, adding that high temperature and humidity played a role in the rapid spreading of the flames.
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The forest officer also revealed that there were a few minor fires reported from patta lands close to the forest land earlier this month. They were controlled before they could spread, he added.
Meanwhile, the forest department has registered a case pertaining to the fire incident on Thursday and is investigating the reason and potential persons behind it.
Residents said that the fire started at around 9 pm behind Sholinganallur Aavin booth.
The affected spot was said to be the roosting site of harrier birds and a nesting site for several ground nesting birds.
Two fire engines and around 50 forest department staff along with fire personnel had been deployed to douse the fire.