Scorching summer heat has ignited wildfires in the Silent Valley National Park and forest areas at Walayar. The fire at Attappallam, near Walayar, started on Saturday and was doused on Tuesday morning. As many as 50 personnel were employed to fight the forest fire.
The fire in the buffer zone of the Silent Valley began on Monday night and continued through Tuesday. The fire started in the Kandamangalam, Kundippadam and Mekkalappara area. It spread to the Paruvakkulam, Aattumudi and Thathengalam areas by Tuesday.
Forest officials said that they were fighting hard to control the fire. When the fire at Walayar was a ground blaze, the one in the Silent Valley assumed the nature of a crown fire because of the presence of larger trees. Although fire belts had been made, they did not prove effective as the fire had started from inside the forest.
It took nearly three days for 50-odd forest staff to control the fire at Attappallam because of the dangerous terrain and inclement weather. The firefighting could not be done during daytime because of the high temperature and the wind.
“Our men would start climbing the hill only after 3 p.m. and they would reach the spot where the bushes were burning after a two hour strenuous climb. They started firefighting around 6 p.m. using beaters and blowers. Although the fire was doused on Tuesday morning, we have kept 30 personnel on standby to deal with any situation,” said Palakkad Divisional Forest Officer Sreenivas Kurra.
Mr. Kurra said that because of too much heat and quick dehydration, fire-fighting on a steep hill was difficult during the day. He said undergrowth patches in 10-15 hectares were burnt.
The forest officials suspected that the fire was either set off by some people who harboured some grouse against the Forest Department or it was caught by accident from the tribespeople while collecting honey or some other minor forest produce.
Meanwhile, the district administration too expressed concern at the wildfire as there were fears that the fire might spread to areas of human habitation.
