PANJIM: A satellite-based alert on forest fire had gone out to the officials of the Forest Department when the first fire incident was reported at Satrem, in and around Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday.
A total of 15 teams of around 150 forest frontline staff, fire trekkers and labourers were deployed apart from Navy aircraft to control the fire, which later spread to areas covering Chorla Ghat, Pali and Charavane.
While the unusual rise in temperatures is believed to be the cause for some of the fires, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the cause is mostly man-made and an inquiry is in progress.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Acting Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Saurabh Kumar said that Forest Survey of India (FSI) has in place a system to monitor fires real-time. “We receive real-time basis warnings on fires. It is a satellite-based alert and we act swiftly,” he said.
“Sometime minor fires are not reported and in such situations we depend on locals to inform us. In this case, we had got the warning and also locals informed the range forest officials, who acted in quick time,” he added.
Kumar said that considering the massive fire, a structural plan was put in place to mobilise manpower and resources from the departments like Fire and Emergency and North District Collector. “We even roped in the Navy. As on date, we have managed to bring the situation under control,” he said.
The Forest official said that there is an unusual rise in temperature, which has resulted in spate of fires across the State. “Fires are raging in the dry deciduous forests. There are dry leaves everywhere. During hot summers, due to the hot environment, the speed of hot air is high,” he said.
“This causes the dry leaves and trees to collide with each other. This collision results in friction, which, in turn, produces a spark,” he said.
“Also, there are people who go to forest areas and intentionally or unintentionally light the fire. In the current situation, even a minor spark is enough. This is a surface fire and it can rise as and when,” he explained.
“In this situation, there are no symptoms of natural fire and hence there are chances that the cause of fire could be manmade,” he said.
Kumar said that the forest is an open treasury and we are its custodians. “It is the collective responsibility of everyone. We want support from people to protect the forest,” he said.
The Forest Department is sensitising the people to be careful with any fire prone material or equipment while going in forest areas.
When contacted, Valpoi station fire officer Santosh Gawas said that since the major fire was at the top of the hillock covering dense forest areas of Satrem and Charavane, it was difficult for their vehicles to go in and douse fire. “The other incident reports along the road side were taken care of by us while the Forest Department is handling the Satrem and Charavane situation,” he said.
Total three fire vehicles were deployed to douse the fire.
