Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Jan 12: Memories of several such past catastrophes came haunting residents of Salethur Natekallu and Kattattila areas of Kolnadu village near Vittal on Wednesday January 11, when a forest fire destroyed 40 acres of plantation including rubber and cashew trees.

Fire was first sighted in the rubber plantation owned by A H Muhammed in Salethur Natekallu area at about 11.45 am. Most of the rubber plants there, were four years old. Although locals came together in an attempt to douse the fire, because of strong breeze, fire spread fast. The people said that 20 acres of plantation had been consumed by fire last year. They expressed resentment at the late arrival of the fire brigade personnel.

In the afternoon, fire was sighted in the hilly area of Kattattila. Various trees including cashew belonging to Purushotham Shetty Kattattila, Badiyaru Babu Shetty, and Suma Adyantaya Agari Kattattila were destroyed by the fire. People from the villages worked hard to douse the fire. Fire brigade vehicles from the town and Mangaluru arrived to control the situation.

The locals suspect that the fire would have been ignited by the burning cigarette butts thrown by smokers or because of electric short circuit.

On Wednesday evening, hundreds of trees also burnt down in government forest area at Poyyekanda near Badiakda, but in this case timely arrival of the fire brigade ensured that the damage was controlled on time. Locals said a short circuit at a nearby power transformer had caused the fire here.