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.
