Two incidents of forest fire at Namchi

NAMCHI, 11 Mar: Forest fire at two different private holdings around Namchi kept the fire personnel busy for the day while their prompt action, timely information and better co-operation from the locals saved the property worth lakhs.
PI Namchi Fire Station, IK Rai while talking to this correspondent informed that the first fire call was received from Upper Ghurpisey at around 2 PM. Though the spot was far from the road approach, the fire personnel carried the fire fighting equipments till the spot and with the help of locals the fire was brought under control after some tough firefighting that lasted for around an hour. Timely information from the land owner Thendup Bhutia and cooperation of the locals saved the residential houses situated in the surroundings as the fire was brought under control when it had damaged the private holding forest are of around 200x300 sq.ft.
Similarly, another call from Livelihood School, Namchi, Tharpu at 3 PM kept the fire personnel busy. Here the fire had broken out below the Livelihood School at the private holding of KN Rai endangering the Livelihood School situated just above the spot. The fire personnel with the help of two fire tenders brought the flames under control within half an hour of fire fighting. This fire has damaged around 100x100 sq ft. of the private holding.
No casualties have been reported from both the incidents while the cause of fire has been ascertained to be due to the negligence of some people who might have left a burning piece of cigarette or some other fire source at the area which spread as the winds caught on, said PI Mr. Rai.