MYSURU: A major wildfire broke out at Chamundi Hills, the third such incident in recent weeks, and destroyed an estimated 25 acres of forest cover on Friday.Forest officials suspect it to be ‘man-made’ as the fire had erupted at three different areas from a private land at the foothills of Chamundi on the Mysuru- Nanjangud road side, from where it spread towards the forest area.
Speaking to the Express, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Mysuru) Prashanth Kumar K C said, “Around 4.30 pm, we received the alert, and personnel, including fire watchers and guards, were rushed to the spot. Also, five to six fire tenders arrived there. However, we were able to contain the fire only after three hours due to high wind speed and challenging conditions. Due to the inaccessible topography of the hill, and as the fire was spreading from the bottom to the top, it took some time to extinguish the flames and bring the situation under control.”
Most of the forest cover destroyed in the incident consisted of shrubs and grasses, the official added. Deputy Conservator of Forests (Mysuru) Prashanth Kumar K C added that no damages to tree cover or other precious flora were reported. A geographical positioning system (GPS) survey will be conducted on Saturday to assess the damage, he added.
Regional Fire Officer (RFO) Eshwar Nayak, who led the operation, said, “Though the intensity of the fire was huge, we ensured that the blaze did not spread further to Uttanahalli and the Chamundi Hill Road which leads to the Nandi statue. Only the grass cover has been lost and there was no major damage to the forest.”
Body found
Amid the raging fire, forest personnel came across the charred body of an unidentified woman at the private land from where the blaze erupted. They alerted the jurisdictional police, who reached the spot and shifted the body to the mortuary of Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute. While it is not known whether it is natural or unnatural death, it is mostly suspected to be a suicide case, as a bottle of tablets was found beside the body. KR Police have registered a case.