ERODE: Attempts by forest department to extinguish a fire that broke out in Sathamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) on Sunday night continued for the second day on Tuesday. Officials from forest department said strong winds delayed the work to put out the blaze.
"Fire broke out in Kambathrayan Giri around 8 pm on Sunday as the area is dry and continued to spread. Although, we came to know about the fire, the area is 60 km from STR and we could not reach there immediately. A of 60 forest department personnel reached there on Monday morning. Twenty people from nearby villages also joined us in extinguishing the fire. The team is working carefully as wild animal population is also high in the area," an official said.
Sathyamangalam Ranger KR Palanisamy said, "It was not possible to carry any firefighting equipment, as we had to walk for 4 km in the hilly path. We are working to extinguish the fire by breaking tree branches there. Because of the strong wind, the fire is spreading rapidly. On Tuesday, the fire spread to the Ramar Dam area. The fire is expected to be extinguished fully by Tuesday evening."
An officer from STR said, "It is not immediately possible to estimate the damage caused by the fire. We are checking if wild animals have been affected by the fire."