Wild fire destroys over 160 acres in Knuckles Forest range in Sri Lanka
Wild fire destroys over 160 acres in Knuckles Forest range in Sri Lanka
23 October 2010
published by www.colombopage.com
Sri Lanka — A forest fire broke out yesterday at the Knuckles Forest Reserve in the hill country of Sri Lanka, the police said.
The fire which is burning since last night at the Hunnasgiriya Hills due to the dry weather in the forest range has already destroyed more than 160 acres and continues to spread due to high winds.
The winds have forced a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter which attempted to extinguish the fire to return.
No injuries have been reported yet. The authorities are taking measures to control the fire, the police said.
The Knuckles Forest range, added as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July this year covers parts of Kandy and Matale districts and is home to almost one-third of the island’s flowering plant species.
