Nilgiris Inferno: 400 personnel work fortnight to douse hill fire

COIMBATORE: In a major relief to the hills, the fire that had been sweeping through forest areas in the Nilgiris has been brought under control after a fortnight of intense firefighting efforts under challenging conditions.

“Multiple teams are stationed at the spots for continuous monitoring. Improved humidity levels have been a key factor in bringing the fire under control,” said R Kiruba Shankar, field director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and conservator of forests (Nilgiris).

The blaze, which broke out on April 15 in the Wenlock Downs forest area under the Parsons Valley Range of the Nilgiri Forest Division, spread rapidly due to harsh weather and strong winds.

A large-scale firefighting operation involving more than 400 forest personnel was launched. Two teams from the State Disaster Response Force, five teams from the Fire and Rescue Services, and over 100 members of Eco Development Committees assisted in the containment efforts.

“According to preliminary estimates, nearly 1,000 acres of forest land were affected by the fire. The damage was intense in the Parsons Valley area,” said Shankar. Officials noted there was no impact on the native shola forests.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. “In some places, villagers had set fires to facilitate grazing. There is also a possibility that the fires may have been triggered amid the human-wildlife conflict. No conclusions have been reached, and all angles are being probed,” the official added.

Officials said unprecedented dryness, strong winds, and low humidity made containment efforts difficult. A helicopter was deployed briefly, but had to be withdrawn due to strong winds. Firefighters instead pumped water manually from the Pykara dam and nearby rivers into the forest.