ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Another forest fire broke out in the Margalla Hills on Sunday as the country remains in the grip of a heat wave.
The latest fire came a day after authorities in the federal capital brought the fire under control at two separate locations in the Margalla Hills.
However, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon said the fire broke out again in the Margalla Hills section of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this morning.
He said a team from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was present to control the fire and added that 36 firemen were involved in the firefighting operation.
The deputy commissioner said authorities have created a protective wall to prevent fire from entering the federal city.
The Islamabad administration made joint efforts with the KP government to put out the fire.
Part of the Himalayan foothills, the Margalla range experiences frequent fires during the summer months.
Lately, there has been a gap in the hills of Islamabad. Officials have not confirmed whether the fire was due to high temperatures or arson.
However, the capital’s government said on Friday that three people suspected of starting the forest fire had been arrested.
The climate has engulfed the forests of Punjab, KP
Separately, a forest fire spread over 15-20 hectares in Baghar Sharif area of Kahuta Tehsil Rawalpindi also erupted.
Rescue teams and police officers are struggling to control the fire.
Rescue officials said the danger of the fire spreading increased due to the hilly and mountainous terrain, adding that rescue workers had extinguished the fire as best they could.
The district administration launched an emergency operation and called for more personnel and machinery to fight the fire.
Meanwhile, a day ago, a fire broke out in the Kurd Sherif forest area in the Garag district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which damaged many valuable trees and wildlife.
Firefighters said the fire was under control in Kurd Sheriff, but smoke was still rising in some areas.
They said that due to the lack of access to land, rescue workers are facing difficulties as the team sent to the affected area via Mianwali.
According to Malik Nurul Amin, who is in charge of the rescue, the fire has been extinguished, but the cooling process is still ongoing in the area where the smoke is coming out.
Parts of Pakistan reached a high of 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 F) in the past week, marking the hottest summer in South Asia this year – a trend scientists say has been exacerbated by climate change.
