A major ‘high-risk’ forest fire that had been raging for several days along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez valley has finally been brought under control, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The blaze, which spread across nearly 20–30 hectares of forest land, posed a significant challenge due to the region’s sensitive location near the LoC.
According to Waseem Farooq Mir, DFO Bandipora, joint teams of the forest department, police, and civil administration have successfully contained the flames. However, they continue to remain deployed in the area to conduct an extensive mopping operation, which involves clearing and cooling half-burnt debris to prevent fresh flare-ups. “The fire has been controlled, but the teams are ensuring that no smouldering residue is left behind,” Mir said.
Officials noted that the operation was particularly complex because the fire zone lies close to the LoC, requiring continuous coordination with the Army. Despite the difficulties, the officer expressed gratitude to all agencies and local volunteers who assisted in extinguishing the blaze.
The major fire had erupted in the Bagtore area of Gurez, but authorities also reported a few smaller fires across other forest patches in Bandipora district. All of them are now under control. “There is no active forest fire in Bandipora at present,” the DFO confirmed.
Bandipora remains highly vulnerable to forest fires due to heavy fuel load and prolonged dry weather conditions. Authorities have urged people venturing into forested regions to exercise extreme caution, avoid lighting fires, and seek prior permission from the local range officer or the DFO whenever necessary.
With teams on high alert and continuous monitoring underway, officials hope to prevent any further incidents as the dry spell persists across north Kashmir.
