Forest Department personnel douse Srisailam forest fire

Atmakur Divisional Forest Officer said it was a creeping fire and not much damage was done to the large tree cover

The Atmakur Division of Nallamala Forest doused a fire close to Srisailam on Thursday night deploying 40 department personnel with the help of some fire tenders. The fire, which was noticed late evening by some people close to Sikharam area in Srisailam, and close to the habitation and road. They immmediately alerted the Forest Department.

Atmakur Divisional Forest Officer Sambangi Venkatesh said it was a creeping fire and not much damage was done to the large tree cover. Forest staff went inside the forest and doused it effectively within a couple of hours and the fire engines kept it away from spreading further till they had access from the road.

Man-made fire

Terming it as man-made disaster, he said the majority of the 2,000 such fires witnessed annually all over the Nallamala Forest Range, are set by Chenchus and other tribes for collecting honey , Gum or Maredu tubers.

Thursday’s fire was also something in that category, and was useful for the forest in a way as it would help in fresh germination of shoots. “In the Sikharam area there are 100 Fire Watchers inducted from the surrounding villages who keep a watch on such forest fires, and act immediately or discourage people from lighting fire,” Mr. Venkatesh added.