Team Herald
VASCO: A hillock at Nauta in Cortalim was engulfed in flames after a fire broke out in the dry scrub vegetation and spread rapidly. Smoke from the massive fire, which locals claim began on Tuesday morning, could be seen even from several kilometres away, in areas like Sancoale, on Tuesday night.
The fire was finally contained on Wednesday evening, after burning for a day-and-a-half.
Cortalim MLA Anton Vas said he was alerted about the blaze by locals on Tuesday evening, and rushed to the site with Fire Station personnel. “ By the time we were alerted, the fire was very big, and had spread across an area of two kilometres. The major issue is that the terrain is thickly forested and sloped, and offers very little access for firefighting operations. We reached out to the Navy for assistance but they were already engaged with the fires in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary,” said Vas,
Vas, who was on site until around 3 am on Wednesday morning, requested fire services personnel to be stationed outside the houses at the foot of the hillock, to ensure there is no damage to lives and property.
The fire blazed through Tuesday night and began spreading towards Verna and the metastrips area but was quickly contained at these spots as they were close to the highway, providing easy access to fire tenders from the Verna Fire Station.
The Navy’s helicopters made several firefighting trips above the hillock on Wednesday morning, Vas and Cortalim Sarpanch Senia Pereira had roped in locals and labourers to help make an access through the forested area for the fire fighters, and also helped by employing traditional methods, like beating the flames with sticks, to douse the blaze,
At midnight on Thursday, a fresh fire broke out in Chicalim, near the church property in Bhaiyya colony. Panch members informed the fire brigade, and the blaze was doused shortly after.
