Fires continue to range in Bandipur tiger forest reserve since 5 days in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
The wildfires have spread across 3000 of the 87,400 hectares. Over 500 forest officials, volunteers and people from the area are helping to douse the flames.
Today the Indian Air Force extended its hand in the ongoing operations. Two IAF helicopters completed about 10 sorties each, and sprayed 30,000 litres of water over fire in the region.
The wind speed in the area is 13 kilometers per hour, if the fire keeps spreading it will reach a power plant which is very close that is at the border with Tamil Nadu. That is why the IAF were pressed into service to bring the fire under control.
The movement of vehicular traffic has been temporarily banned on the National Highway 67 for a week, depending on the situation after a week the officials will take a call.
It might take another two complete days for the fire to be under complete control.
Meanwhile there are no reports of any injuries, or death of human or animals.
Forest officials say that larger animals may have escaped to the core of the forest to away from the heat, but there could a possibility of causality of smaller animals like snakes, calves, rabbits and mongoose to perish with the grass.
(The Pigeon Express Opinion– The temperature in Karnataka have suddenly spiked high, summer is still to start but the forests are already burning. If you still don’t believe if climate change is real, then God bless you!!!)