A minor fire swept through parts of Bandipur buffer zone on Saturday evening but was brought under control and doused by the Forest Department personnel.
The authorities said about 5 to 8 acres of the forest area was affected but said it was only a ground fire and had no significant impact on either the vegetation or the animals in the area.
The fire was first noticed around 3.30 p.m. in the Terkanambi forest area of the buffer zone in Gundlupet. It transpired that the fire was approaching the forest area from a private agricultural tract which was on fire and hence the Forest Department rushed its personnel to the spot to bring it under control before it engulfed the core forests.
However, strong wind made it difficult for the ground staff to control the fire and hence additional personnel from the adjoining Gopalswamy Betta and Kundukere range were also pressed into service. When the wind subsided the Forest Department staff doused it.
Bandipur and surrounding forests are prone to fire and the authorities recruit temporary fire watchers to reinforce he strength of their ground staff. February and March tend to be the peak fire season and given the nature of the forests which are dry deciduous, the fire tends to burn swiftly and reduce the vegetation to cinders. More than 50 per cent of the national park has been overrun by weeds such as lantana that tend to dry quicky during summer and hence accentuate the intensity of fire.
Bandipur has a history of frequent outbreak of fire and the biggest in recent times was in 2019 when nearly 15,000 acres was gutted. It necessitated the deployment of IAF choppers to air drop water.
The park authorities aver they are equipped to deal with any contingency and have stationed fire tenders but prevention or controlling it in the early stages was the only way to aver a major conflagration. The threat of fire remains till the onset of pre-monsoon showers during May.
