Wildfire In Somasila Forest of Andhra's Nellore, Efforts To Douse Blaze Underway

A deadly wildfire broke out in the Somasila forest area of Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district on Wednesday. Efforts to control the blaze are underway, officials said.

Visuals from the site showed thick, black plumes of smoke in the air as the raging blaze engulfed the forest. The Somasila forest is known for its biodiversity and ecological significance.

According to a TOI report, experts have attributed the recent increase in forest fire incidents reported in southern India to various factors, including high aridity, above-average daytime temperatures, clear sky conditions, and calm winds during the early summer season.

Meanwhile, the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha deployed seven teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) in vulnerable forests on Monday to combat wildfire.

The seven ODRAF teams are deployed in Baliguda, Phulbani, Rayagada, Bonai, Kalahandi South, Similipal South, and Paralakhemundi forest divisions to douse forest fire.

“Wildfire incidents are now under control and all measures have been taken,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Debidutta Biswal was quoted by PTI as saying.

Debidutta Biswal noted that in 2024, forest fires were detected at 12,000 points in the forest area of Odisha as compared to 32,500 during the same period last year.

“To stop the spread of fire in forest areas, seven ODRAF teams have been deployed in vulnerable points. They will reach the spot by Tuesday,” he said.

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