Fires ravage Islamabad’s Margalla Hills
FOREST BLAZES INJURE FIREFIGHTERS, KILL WILDLIFE AND TURN TREES TO ASHES
Plumes of smoke were still engulfing the forest around Margalla Hills in Islamabad yesterday, as the forest fire that broke out on Wednesday was finally doused after three days of hectic efforts.
“The fire has been completely contained as of Saturday morning after three days of continuous efforts,” Altaf, assistant director of the CDA Forest department, told Gulf News.
“The smoke seen in the sky is emanating from burnt pine trees, which are at least 60 metres tall and continue to emit smoke for days after burning,” he said.
Forest fires have raged in Islamabad’s mountains over the last three days, injuring firefighters, killing wildlife species and turning the priceless trees into ashes.
More than 70 firefighters from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) battled the forest fire that was finally doused on yesterday morning.
Army Aviation and Pakistan Air Force helicopters also joined aerial firefighting efforts, deploying Bambi Buckets to cool down the area during a total of 41 trips.
The fire, which has been termed the worst of the year, has reportedly affected over six hectares due to high winds.
Dozens of animals, reptiles and birds were reportedly burnt to death by the raging bushfire.
“It was painful to hear the crying sound of birds and some animals as we were heading back home after Sehri from Monal [one of the restaurants in Margalla Hills],” said Sehar Karim, a resident of Islamabad.
Quickly spread
Fires initially broke out at two points — behind Saidpur Village and Daman-e-Koh picnic point. But they quickly spread and blazes were reported in different areas such as Budhuban, Jabbi and Nooran di Gali in Saidpur Zone and Ratta Hotter, Mandiala and Lohi Dandi in Shahdara Zone.
Talking to Gulf News, Uzma Saeed, operations manager at IWMB, said the organisation’s 22 guards worked day and night to douse the fire.
“Our teams made all-out efforts to extinguish the blazes in scorching heat,” Saeed told journalists.