Trees perish in yet another wildfire

11 fires in one month causing grave concern among residents of Kotli Sattian, Kahuta

RAWALPINDI:

Hundreds of valuable trees and animals perished in yet another fire that broke out in the forest of Kotli Sattian on Saturday.

On Friday, a fire had broken out in a forest spread over a large area near Panan village of Kotli Sattian engulfing the forest for up to six-kilometre. The number of fires has risen to 11 in the past month, causing grave concern among the local population.

Like the Friday fire, the blaze on Saturday also engulfed nearby areas in intense smoke and residents demanded an action from the chief minister of Punjab to prevent forest fires immediately.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, the forest fire near Panan village was brought under control by rescue personnel after 20 hours of strenuous efforts.

Rescue teams were called back right after a previous call when a forest fire broke out near the Government High School Crore on Friday.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that the scorching heat and careless smoking have increased the number of forest fires in the mountainous areas. Soon after receiving information, three fire tenders and eight rescue personnel were dispatched to the site to put out the blaze.

Firefighters faced difficulty putting out the blaze due to wind and the nature of forest fires and they were trying to contain the fire with the help of fire beaters in the dark between Friday and Saturday night.

The spokesperson said the public must be extremely careful to prevent the spread of fires and that the electrical wiring in the buildings should be kept in good condition.

He said if the power cables are damaged from any place, they should be repaired immediately, and smoke cigarettes with utmost caution and dispose them of in a safe place.

The spokesman said that a small mistake and negligence may lead to a big incident.

At least 11 forest fires in the mountainous areas of Kotli Sattian and Kahuta have burnt hundreds of valuable trees to ashes in the last month.

The Punjab Forest Department has not yet begun the process of estimating the damage caused by the fires.

A resident of Kotli Sattian, Muhammad Jamshed Satti, said that the heat intensifies every year but this time the residents of the area are concerned over the increasing incidence of forest fires. He said the fires have brought deforestation to the brink of extinction, not only raising temperatures but also displacing wildlife. Large-scale fires cause smoke to rise throughout the day, increasing air pollution, he added.

Satti said that the residents of Kotli Sattian and Kahuta have demanded the chief minister of Punjab to set up a high-level committee to investigate the forest fires and take steps to prevent future forest fires.

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