Trees worth millions reduced to ashes in forest fire

Heavy wildfire engulfed the forests of Union Council Lahtarar of Kotli Sattian tehsil of Rawalpindi district, reducing trees worth millions of rupees to ashes.

The fire broke out in the dense forest of Baga village of Union Council Lahtara as the forest department failed to put in place arrangements to protect the forests despite being a fire season. The fire reduced the lush forest to ashes.

Forest officials completely failed to extinguish the blaze, after it broke out between Wednesday and Thursday as officials on duty were found to be missing.

According to the forest department, a large number of dry leaves strewed in the mountain forest caught fire after unidentified persons set on fire leaves. The fire was so intense that its flames went 15 to 20 feet high.

According to forest officials, a large number of birds were also burnt to ashes. The forest department faced difficulty in deploying firefighters in the mountain forest of Baga due to the difficult terrain. The fire lasted for 24 hours and almost all trees were gutted.

Locals struggled to extinguish the fire after it reached their homes.

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The Rawalpindi forest department had declared fire season from April 5 instead of April 15 due to the premature onset of drought, however, the arrangements proved futile. Seventy per cent of the dense forest spread over an area of five-kilometre in Lahtarar Baga was burnt to ashes.

The forest department Nazim has ordered an inquiry into the fire and damage caused to the forest. Rescue 1122 and the fire brigade failed to put out the blaze due to the intensity of the fire.

Locals said that despite the fire being extinguished, many trees were still burning. Kotli Satiyan Bar Association former president Shaukat Satti said that fire breaks out in the forest every year. “The forest department announces security measures every year but it is not implemented,” he said adding that up to 15,000 valuable forest trees were burnt.

He said that now, the whole forest looked like a barren desert.

Arshad Satti, a local, said that the fire was reported to the forest department on time but no official or team showed up for several hours after the fire broke out.

He said that by the time the forest officials arrived, the fire had raged and flames were rising to 20 feet. Because of the night, the flames could be seen from afar, he said.

Farhad Satti, another local, said that the fire did not break out naturally and it was burnt by the timber mafia in alleged collusion of the forest department officials.

After cutting pine and rosewood (Sheesham) trees worth millions of rupees, the timber mafia burnt it, he claimed, adding that the purpose was to cover up the theft of timber. “This happens every year, every senior official announces security arrangements but the timber mafia does its job. This fire has also been set by them,” he said

He questioned if the fire season was declared and an emergency imposed, then where were the forest officials when the fire broke out. He asked why the forest department did not set up a camp office in Lahtarar Baga after the fire emergency was declared.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2022.