Forest fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve contained with help of water-bombing IAF choppers

SUMMARY

With Indian Air Force helicopters dumping gallons of water and firefighters toiling hard, the raging forest fire that burnt thousands of acres in Bandipur Tiger reserve has been brought under "total control", the forest department said on Tuesday. "The fire is under total control. It is not even on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border," principal chief conservator of forest C Jayaram (wildlife) told PTI. The success could be achieved with the help of the Indian Air Force, which deployed two helicopters that ferried several gallons of water from a nearby reservoir to douse the raging flames. "Bambi bucket operations continue. Seven sorties and 19k litres sprayed today (Tuesday). Helicopters (are) on standby at Mysuru. No further tasking by the state government since noon," the IAF tweeted later. Thousands of acres of land in the Bandipur tiger reserve were gutted in a fire over the last four days, creating fear about the safety of wild animals, forest officials said on Sunday. Foresters, along with hundreds of volunteers, made a vain bid to douse the fire that had spread to dangerous proportions, the officials said. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in a tweet requested people to stay away from the affected areas until the situation was brought under control. Caption Credit: PTI/IANS

By CNBC-TV18Feb 27, 2019 10:20:24 AM IST (Updated)

Firefighters busy dousing a fire which spread in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on February 24, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

The fire that had engulfed the forests of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka which had been raging for five long days was finally doused, on February 26, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

The inferno was confined to about 30 sq kms in the core area and 20 sq kms in the periphery of the 1,320 sq kms national park that straddles across the inter-state border into Tamil Nadu. (Photo: IANS)

Two IAF helicopters sprayed 19,000 litres of water in seven sorties on Tuesday across the affected area. (Photo: IANS)

Eyewitnesses said hundreds of trees and bushes had been reduced to ashes. The forest department has started a probe to find what caused the fire, extent of damage and measures to breathe life into the huge tract of land bereft of its greenery. (Photo: IANS)

Flames rise after forest fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Bandipur, Saturday, February 23, 2019. (PTI Photo)

Silhouette of a bird seen against flames of a forest fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Bandipur, Saturday, February 23, 2019. (PTI Photo)

Flames rise after forest fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Bandipur, Saturday, February 23, 2019. The blaze was first spotted about a week ago and since then efforts were on to contain it. (PTI Photo)

Flames rise after forest fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Bandipur, Saturday, February 23, 2019. Five to six feet tall dry grass had come upon large swathes which helped the flames spread, according to officials. Forest officials and fire service personnel along with hundreds of volunteers made a vain bid to douse the blaze over the past few days. (PTI Photo)

The damage to the wildlife is zero as they all had moved to greener pasture, State Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Punati Sridhar said. (Photo: PTI)

Thousands of acres of land in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka were gutted in a fire over the last four days, creating fear about the safety of wild animals, forest officials said. (Photo: IANS)

Foresters, along with hundreds of volunteers, made a vain bid to douse the fire that had spread to dangerous proportions, the officials said. (Photo: IANS)

A stretch of eight kilometres of forest from Varekatte to Gopalaswamy Hill has been reduced to ashes while reports said the fire has spread to Chartalakore Hill, Dummana Hill and Gouri Kallu Hill. (Photo: IANS)

The problem is that there has been no fire in the area over the last four-five years and the grass had grown to a height of four-five feet, principal chief conservator of forest Punati Sridhar told reporters. (Photo: IANS)

Unlike in the past or in many years, this is the first time the wildfire in Bandipur flared up earlier due to the sudden climatic change and rapid growth of dry grass and Lantana. (Photo: IANS)