Jammu & Kashmir: Major forest fire rages in Gangera hills | Watch

A major forest fire is raging in the Gangera hills in Jammu & Kashmir’s Udhampur district.

The forest fire erupted on Sunday morning in Compartment Number 64 of the Gangera hills.

Efforts are underway to douse the fire, which is threatening to spread across the region.

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According to an ANI report citing forest department’s preliminary estimate, the fire has caused immense damage, razing down vast swathes of forest and causing an estimated loss of crores of rupees in timber and other natural resources.

The cause of the fire is not known yet.

Amid temperature rise, the region has been witnessing frequent forest fires.

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According to a report by Times of India, officials from the forest department has issued an urgent appeal to the public, urging them to refrain from cooking meals within the forest areas.

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“We have been trying to control fire since morning. I can't tell the area this fire has covered. I appeal to people not to cook here in the forest as it is damaging our forest resources,” said Brahm Dutt Sharma, forest department block officer, as per the report.

Daya Dhar fire

In Udhampur district’s Daya Dhar of Ghordi Block, a major forest fire has been raging since past three days.

The blaze has intensified during this period, and despite continuous firefighting efforts, it remains uncontained.

Highlighting the presence of a large number of peacocks and other wildlife in the area, Ghordi BDC Arti Sharma has requested the administration to deploy Indian Air Force choppers to combat the fire.

Last week, a major fire had engulfed the forested hills near Neem Karoli Baba Ashram Kainchi Dham in Nainital district of Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand state has recently witnessed an alarming rise in forest fires, prompting concerns about environmental safety.

According to the Uttarakhand government’s reply in the Supreme Court in a related case earlier this month, there were 398 forest fires from November 2023 till May 8 2024.

Every year, Uttarakhand faces forest fires between mid-February to June, as during this period the trees shed dry leaves and the soil loses moisture due to a temperature rise.