Chennai, Apr 13 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu forest department staff was fighting to douse a fire that has engulfed 50 hectares of forest land in Coimbatore.

The fire was detected on April 11 in a rocky patch of land with dry grass in the Madukkarai forest range and a team of 40 staff of the department is trying to douse the fire.

Officials told IANS that the affected forest is located near Nathegoundanpudur in the revenue village of Alandurai in Coimbatore district.

The firefighting team was facing a Herculean task as the dry grass on the patch had led to the spread of the fire and the staff was finding it difficult to control it.

District Forest officer N. Jayaraj told media persons that the total area of the forest was 150 hectares which was a rocky terrain and of this 50 hectares has already been destroyed in the fire.

The firefighters, according to the district forest officer, were trying to prevent the fire from spreading downwards.