K-P firemen struggle to douse forest fires

Blaze put out in most Swat locations after two days

PESHAWAR:

Firemen on Sunday struggled to bring the raging forest fires under control in different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) which inflicted widespread damage on the indigenous flora and fauna in the region.

They were able to extinguish wildfires in at least nine locations in district Swat including Sigram, Baglo, Berrari, Babuzai, Barikot, Kokarai Minogora, Kot Charbagh, Chatmalai and Devial, Kabal.

“Most fires in district Swat have been extinguished while 60 per cent fire in Kabal has been put out and firefighters are still trying their best,” said an official of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) while talking to The Express Tribune, adding that there was no loss of life or property in these forest fires.

“Fire in the famous Elum mountain in Buner has also been brought under control which continued for at least four days. These fires occur almost annually,” said a local resident of Buner, adding that most of the time local people themselves start these fires in order to have good grass next season.

“I see these fires each year. Some are caused by thunders but most of the time local residents start these fires so that they have better vegetation next year for their cattle,” he said, adding that people often burn waste on a large scale in the mountains which causes uncontrolled wildfires.

On Saturday four people were burnt alive when forest fire engulfed a house in Shangla district of K-P.

As per the PDMA report a man, woman and two children have lost their lives. They are from one family who were unable to escape.

PDMA has already established a control room which could be contacted in case of emergency.

Firefighters of Rescue 1122 were able to extinguish the forest fire in Arsaon forest near the Pak-Afghan border in Lower Chitral district on Sunday.

“We have been informed that there is a fire in the forest in the mountains following which a team of six firefighters was sent to the area who were able to bring it under control after hours of firefighting activity,” an official of Rescue 1122 said, adding that their teams were also busy along with the teams of district administration and forest department in many districts.

“Local volunteers are also helping us in this regard,” he said. “A team of 60 firefighters from the department has also controlled the forest fire in Chakisar, Shangla which started two days ago and killed four people of a family,” said Rescue 1122 official Bilal Faizi, adding that the area is far-flung and mountainous and it was really a challenging task.

Forest fires have reduced thousands of trees to ashes in many parts of K-P including Buner, Swat, Mohmand, Chitral and Shangla.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2022.