A portion of Chamundi Hills was engulfed by fire on Friday. The fire broke out around 2.30 p.m. outside the hill boundary in the area belonging to the Adichunchanagiri Mutt. However, it spread beyond the mutt boundary and engulfed 40 to 50 acres of ground vegetation. Deputy Conservator of Forests V. Karikalan told The Hindu that six fire tenders have been pressed into service, apart from nearly 50 Forest Department staff and an equal number of local residents, who volunteered to help douse the fire. Though the fire, which was spreading in an upward direction, was contained and brought under control by 5 p.m., high winds stoked the flames that spread sideways. A section of the local community said they heard a blast and suspected that one of the transformers had burst, causing the fire. “We informed the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation, which inspected the transformers ,” said Mr. Karikalan. This is the second major fire in Chamundi Hills this year.
40 to 50 acres of ground vegetation engulfed in flames
