Suspects were arrested on suspicion of igniting the forest fires, the capital’s administration said on Friday
Recently, another forest fire broke out on the Margalla Hills, adding to the challenges brought by a severe heatwave in Pakistan. This fire started just a day after two other fires in the same area were controlled. Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon mentioned that the new fire started on the Margalla Hills section that falls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He assured that teams from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were on-site, and 36 firefighters were involved in the effort to put out the flames.
To prevent the fire from spreading to Islamabad, authorities set up a firewall. The Islamabad administration and the KP government worked together to manage the situation.
Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan foothills, often experience bush fires during summer. Recently, fires have been breaking out frequently. Officials have not yet determined if these fires are caused by the high temperatures or deliberate arson. However, three suspects were arrested on suspicion of starting the fires.
In another incident, a fire spread over 15 to 20 acres of forest in the Baghar Sharif area of Rawalpindi’s Kahuta Tehsil. Rescue teams and police are working to control it, but the rugged terrain is making it difficult. More personnel and equipment have been called in to help.
Additionally, a fire in the Kurd Sharif forest area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district damaged many trees and wildlife. While the fire has been controlled, smoke is still visible in some areas, and the cooling process is ongoing.
Parts of Pakistan have experienced extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 F) in the past week. Scientists attribute this unusually hot summer to human-driven climate change.
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