Tura, March 18: Two separate forest fires blamed on careless smoking erupted within minutes of each other at Williamnagar forest reserve and a central school on Tuesday, prompting a quick response from the Fire and Emergency Services (FS) and Forest Department whose personnel toiled to contain the blaze before it turned into an inferno.
The incidents, occurring at Rongrenggiri Forest Reserve near Rongkem and within the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) compound in Williamnagar caused substantial damage to the ecology of the place.
According to SP Fire and Emergency Services, Bruno A Sangma, the first fire was reported at 14:16 hrs at the Rongrenggiri Forest Reserve, triggering a joint firefighting operation involving FS and Forest Department teams. The second blaze followed shortly after, at 14:37 hrs, within the JNV compound.
According to preliminary reports, both fires were successfully extinguished, but tragically, an area approximately twenty acres of the Rongrenggiri Forest Reserve were affected, alongside one acre within the JNV compound.
Officials estimate that the Rongrenggiri fire alone has caused losses amounting to crores of rupees in terms of ecological damage.
Fortunately, there were no reported casualties in either incident.
“We responded promptly to both calls, deploying separate FS crews to tackle the fires,” said SP Bruno A Sangma.
“The joint operation at Rongrenggiri Forest Reserve was crucial in containing the blaze. We are relieved that no lives were lost,” he added.
Preliminary investigations suggest that careless smoking is the likely cause of both fires.
Authorities are urging residents to exercise extreme caution, especially during dry periods, to prevent similar incidents.
“The impact on the Rongrenggiri Forest Reserve is substantial. We will be submitting a detailed report on the incident, including a comprehensive assessment of the damage,” said the SP.
The public have been urged to remain vigilant and report any signs of fire immediately to the authorities.
