Sariska Tiger Reserve Fire 'Almost Under Control', Says Official

The fire in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, developing since Sunday, was "almost under control" in areas with thick easy-burning dry grass, acccording to a forest official. 

Fire fighting operations resumed on Wednesday morning with two Indian Air Force helicopters, disaster relief personnel, and local people pitching in to beat back the flames.

But in the morning, flames still raged across a swathe of 4-5 square kilometres. At one time, however, the wildfire had spread over 10 square kilometres.

“The fire did not spread much last night and has been brought under control by over 50 per cent as compared to yesterday,” said an official on Wednesday, according to PTI.

The official added the flames are now seen in area which has less dry grass.

"Therefore we expect that it will not take much time now to completely control the fire,” he said.

Four adult tigers and five cubs move around the area where the fire broke out. But officials said no tiger is stuck in the area. The reserve in Rajasthan's Alwar district has 27 tigers.

The official said the total forest area scorched by the forest fire will be assessed once the flames are doused.

The blaze had started on Sunday evening and was brought under control on Monday. But it flared again the same evening and continued through Tuesday, spreading up to an area of over 10 square kilometres at one point in the day.

“At present, the fire is in around 4-5 square kilometres area and helicopters are ferrying water from nearby Silisedh Lake to spray over it,” the official said.

Two State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed, along with forest department staff, nature guides and local people. Altogether, about 200 people are involved in the fire-fighting effort.

The Forest Department had earlier asked people in adjacent villages not to enter the forest area.

With PTI inputs