MANSEHRA: A large-scale wildfire that broke out in the dense Kotkay forest near the city caused extensive damage to alpine trees and wildlife, an official said on Saturday.
“Our firefighters have effectively been responding to the frequent incidents of wildfires in different parts of the district. In the latest incident, they managed to extinguish a major blaze that had spread across a large portion of the Dara forest and posed a threat to nearby settlements,” Ibrar Ali, district emergency officer of Rescue 1122, told reporters.
Firefighters, along with fire tenders, rushed to the scene and began efforts to extinguish the blaze, which spread rapidly due to dry grass and pine needles.
The rescue teams also adopted traditional firefighting methods in areas where access for fire tenders was not possible.
“Our teams responded promptly and brought the fire under control after several hours of stiff efforts, preventing it from spreading to nearby residential areas,” Ali said.
He urged people to avoid dumping garbage and inflammable materials in forests, as dry grass and pine needles can easily catch fire during the hot summer season, endangering the wildlife too.
“Public cooperation is essential to prevent such incidents, which not only destroy forests but also pose a serious threat to wildlife and biodiversity,” he added.
