Sariska Fire: Blaze Brought Under Control, Confined To Just A Hillock Now

Sariska Fire: The fire-fighting operation has been on since Monday involving 200 people and two IAF helicopters.

A file photo of Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve (Getty Images)

New Delhi: The fire in Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve is now just confined to a hillock, with the blaze, raging since Sunday, brought under control by nearly 80 per cent, PTI reported.

"The fire was brought under control by nearly 80 percent till the evening. The flames are left on just one hillock now," PTI quoted Rajasthan's principal secretary (forest) Sreya Guha as saying.

READ | Massive Fire Breaks Out In Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve, IAF Choppers Deployed To Douse Blaze

The fire-fighting operation has been on since Monday involving 200 people and two IAF helicopters. The wildfire had spread over an area 10 sq km in the forest in Alwar district.

Guha said officials would take a stock of the total area damaged due to the blaze once the fire is under full control.

A forest official said the situation was now almost under control in areas with thick easy-burning dry grass.

Four adult tigers and five cubs live in the area where the fire broke out. But officials claimed no tiger was stuck in the area, PTI reported. The Sariska reserve has 27 tigers.

The blaze had started on Sunday evening. Two IAF helicopters were deployed in the fire-fighting operation on Tuesday. 

Two SDRF teams comprising 25 personnel have been deployed. They assisted the forest staff in dousing the fire by digging trenches, commandant Pankaj Chaudhary said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over the fire in the Sariska Tiger Reserve and expressed concern over the situation while assuring all help, PTI reported.

"Prime Minister Modi spoke with the Rajasthan chief minister on the fire at Sariska Tiger reserve. The PM expressed concern at the situation and assured all help," an official said.