Rajouri, Jun 9: A massive forest fire has engulfed several locations in the Rajouri Forest Division, triggering an extensive response from the Forest Department, Forest Protection Force (FPF), and local residents to prevent further spread of the flames.
Officials said the wildfire has affected forest tracts in Khadian, Androla, Chakkli, Miahadi and the Bathuni block. Firefighting operations continued on Tuesday, with authorities deploying all available manpower to tackle the situation.
Forest Department official Rajesh Kumar said teams have been mobilised across the affected regions despite challenging conditions.
“The entire staff has been deployed. The fire is in the Chakkli, Khadian and Androla areas. These locations are extremely remote, making it difficult for firefighting vehicles to reach the site. We are hopeful the blaze will be brought under control by evening,” he said.
Authorities said the rugged terrain and lack of road access have complicated containment efforts, forcing personnel to rely primarily on manual firefighting techniques.
Villagers from nearby areas have joined the operation, assisting forest teams in creating fire lines and preventing the flames from advancing towards adjoining forest belts.
A local resident engaged in the operation said community members have been working continuously since Monday to contain the fire.
“We remained on the ground till late at night trying to control the blaze. I returned home around midnight and resumed work again today. The fire is widespread and difficult to contain, but we are supporting the department in every possible way,” he said.
While no casualties or injuries have been reported, officials are yet to assess the extent of damage to vegetation and wildlife habitats.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and will be investigated after the situation is brought under control. Forest authorities said monitoring has been intensified across vulnerable areas, with teams remaining on high alert to prevent the blaze from spreading further.