It has become a common sight now to witness fire in the Yelagiri Hills owing to the negligence of the public and intense summer heat. Fire and smoke were noticed in the hills surrounding Nilavoor and nearby villages on Yelagiri Hills in the last one week.
Dinkar Kumar, District Forest Officer, Tirupattur, told The Hindu that vegetation on the hills had dried up following monsoon failure. Whenever a cigarette or beedi is thrown carelessly, it leads to a fire in the hills.
The Forest Department has appointed fire watchers on the hills to put out the fire with the help of the staff and local public whenever a fire is noticed. Besides, fire lines (trenches) have been laid in between rows of trees to prevent the spread of fire.
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Whenever a fire is noticed in the interior forests, it is extinguished manually as the Fire and Rescue Services vehicles could not reach the remote spots, the DFO said. “As a precautionary measure, we have issued notices to villagers urging them not to throw lit cigarette butts and beedis in the forests,” he said.