Fire destroys 50 hectares of rocky forest terrain near Coimbatore, firefighting enters third day

Around 40 staff from the Forest Department are struggling to prevent the spread of a fire on a steep rocky patch of land with dry grasses in the Madukkarai forest range near Coimbatore. 

Around 40 staff from the Forest Department are struggling to prevent the spread of a fire on a steep rocky patch of land with dry grasses in the Madukkarai forest range near Coimbatore. 

According to the Forest Department, the fire was detected on a rocky terrain of about 50 hectares in the Bolampatti block II reserve forest of the Madukkarai forest range on April 11, 2023. The affected forest is located near Nathegoundanpudur in Alandurai revenue village. 

The dried grasses on the patch were accelerating the spread of the fire and the steep terrain was inaccessible for the staff to put out the fire. The staff, about 40 members from different forest ranges in Coimbatore Forest Division, were trying to prevent the spread of the fire to the downhill and to the top.

District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj said the rock portion is a continuous stretch of about 150 hectares, out of which about 50 hectares were already burnt by the fire. 

The rocky portion in the middle was inaccessible because of its steepness and the fire fighting team was working to prevent spread of the fire to the downhill and to the top, he said. 

The downhill forest comprises tree patches and dried bamboo patches. According to the Department, the spread of the fire on the rocky terrain could not be controlled immediately.