Landmines laid decades ago on both sides of the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir — a sign of the India-Pakistan tension — are proving to be the biggest hindrance in controlling a forest fire that broke out in PoK a few days ago and has now spread to this side of the border.

The fire was first reported on the Indian side at Chakkan Da Bagh in Poonch district on Tuesday. “In view of the presence of minefields on both sides of the LoC at Chakkan Da Bagh, one cannot carry on the fire fighting operations effectively,” said Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu, Abhay Kumar. Since Tuesday, a number of landmines laid along the LoC have exploded because of the fire, causing panic among people living in nearby villages.

A spokesman for the Defence Ministry, Lt Colonel Biplab Nath, said on Wednesday that “just a few mines exploded in the fire which has now been brought under control”.

Forest officials, however, said it was too early to say that the fire, confined to the forests on the plains on the riverside, is no longer a threat. “Though it (fire) has been brought under control, its embers still remain there and with strong winds, these can spread over to the hilly forests any time,” a senior forest official said. The official added that “one cannot predict anything about forest fires”.

Since April this year, nearly 600 incidents of forest fire including small ones have been reported across Jammu region, mostly in Rajouri and Poonch districts, reducing to ashes forests spread over nearly 2,200 hectares.

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