TN: Forest Fire in Satyamangalam Ranges

Environment National

Forest fire occurred at the ridges of Satyamangalam wildlife sanctuary last evening.

Kshipra Petkar

16th April 2020

The district forest officer informed that the fire broke out in the Satyamangalam wildfire sanctuary at 6:30 PM yesterday. The area where the fire started was one of the highest points of the Satyamangalam range. This is a grassland area and is hence susceptible to catch fire.

The fire was mostly on the ridges but, the extra area which was affected still needs to be checked. According to the District Fire Officer, no wildlife was affected. The District Forest Officer, Satyamangalam suspects that the villagers of the nearby villages could be responsible for causing the forest fire. He said, “The villagers in the nearby areas might have lit the fire. Our forest department teams along with the volunteers from the villages were there and the fire was put off.”

This is not the first time the Satyamangalam wildlife sanctuary experienced a forest fire. In March 2019, around 300 acres of forest cover was affected. It took two days to put out the fire which had completely destroyed rare trees and herbal plants.

The forest department is conducting an investigation as to who might have started the fire. But, major priority of the department is to not let such forest fires occur again.

The department is conducting various awareness programs in the nearby villages, fire watchers have been appointed, and regular monitoring of the forest is being done to prevent such incidents from happening in future.

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