By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 17: The Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department is hard-pressed to deal with forest fires reported from various parts of the East Khasi Hills district and the state beyond.
In Shillong, the department attended 28 incidents of jungle fires on Sunday and a similar situation continued on Monday.
Jungle fires raged in the Mawiong area near the Umiam Lake on its far side on Sunday evening. Large swathes were burnt as the fire tenders could not reach the area deep inside.
A forest fire also broke out in Mawlynrei on Sunday evening, spreading to about 4 acres due to strong winds. The fire tenders were unable to access the area but the local community brought the blaze under control using traditional methods.
The Mawlynrei fire underscored the importance of community involvement, traditional knowledge, and timely alerts.
The Superintendent of Police, F&ES, Shillong informed The Shillong Times on Monday that they are overstretched, attending to several instances of forest fires every day. “The forest fires are usually started by cigarettes thrown after smoking,” he said,
adding that there have been fewer instances of residential fires in the city than in 2024.
On March 13, the Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority warned of “very high forest fire risk” in isolated forest areas of West, North, and East Garo Hills, Ri-Bhoi, East Jaintia Hills, and West Khasi Hills in the next seven days. It advised the citizens to be cautious.
Later, a wet surface wind alert from the India Meteorological Department was received.
“Given the wet conditions, the risk of forest fires is generally lower. However, forest fires could still be a concern due to potential dry under-brush, strong winds, lightning strikes, or human activity,” the alert read.
