LAHORE – The Punjab Forest Department has established control rooms at district levels to combat forest fire.
Officials from the district administration, Rescue 1122 and PDMA will perform duties at these control rooms working round the clock on all seven days in the week for immediate action on reports of fire in forest areas.
As per the forest department officials, timely identification/information of the fire and rapid action (response) was the key to minimize losses. Timely response on information of a fire incident in privately owned area adjacent to the hill forests of Jhelum District, Pind Dadan Khan helped minimizing the losses.
“Access to the fire from the Khewra salt mine was tough due to difficult terrain. It was also impossible for the vehicles to reach there. The intense heat, strong wind and difficult mountain range could not hinder the determination and courage of the forest department officials. After 20 hours of continuous struggle, Rescue 1122, PDMA, District Administration and local people managed to extinguish fire on area spanning over 125 acres before it reached the forest land”, the department spokesman said.
