Downpour douses forest fire
Downpour douses forest fire
26 May 2009
published by www.kuenselonline.com
India — Heavy rain on the night of May 24 spared villagers and forestry officials from having to fight a forest fire in Patalay gewog, Tsirang.
The fire, which started on May 22, damaged about 300 acres of chirpine forest in the gewog and volunteers could not battle the fire because of rough terrain.
Fanned by wind, the fire, which started from a rocky cliff between Gorujurey and Tinchuley villages, lasted almost three days.
Patalay gewogs forest officer, Karma Lama, said that the cause of fire is still under investigation, though he ruled out any chances of human influence. The place is rocky and no man could go there at night, he said.
A villager, Kisna Sanyasi, first spotted the fire at about 8:30 pm when he went to toilet. He informed the gewog and forest officials.
