Pakistan finds it hard to control forest fires as heatwave sweeps nation

Pakistan finds it hard to control forest fires as heatwave sweeps nation/Reuters

Asian News International International | June 3, 2024 | 09:20 AM IST | Breaking News, Pakistan News, World | Follow on Google News

Pakistan finds it hard to control forest fires as heatwave sweeps nation

Pakistan finds it hard to control forest fires as heatwave sweeps nation

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 3 (ANI): The authorities in Pakistan are finding it tough to control the forest fire as a severe heatwave has gripped the nation. Authorities on Sunday doused another forest fire that erupted on Margalla Hills part located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to Geo News.

The fire erupted a day after a massive blaze was brought under control in two separate locations in the Margalla Hills.Quoting Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Memon, Geo News reported that Capital Development Authority (CDA) teams were present on the incident site to bring the fire under control.He added that 36 firefighters participated in the firefighting operation as well.

Bushfires have occurred in the Margalla range regularly during the summer. Recently, a fire broke out occasionally in the Islamabad hills. Officials have yet to ascertain whether the fires are caused by high heat or arson. However, three people were arrested on suspicion of igniting the forest fires, according to the capital’s administration on Friday.

Separately, a fire broke out in the forest, area of Rawalpindi’s Baghar Sharif, spreading over an area of 15 to 20 acres, according to Geo News.The rescue officials stated that the risk of fire spreading was growing due to the rough and steep terrain and that they were fighting the fire wherever it was accessible.

The district administration immediately launched an emergency operation and called for more personnel and machinery to contain the blaze.As of now, several parts of Pakistan have recorded temperatures as high as 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit) in the previous week, with South Asia experiencing a hotter summer this year, which scientists say has been exacerbated by human-caused climate change. (ANI)

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