Locals help foresters douse fire at Turahalli Park in time

BENGALURU: A fire at the Turahalli forest, about 20km from the city off Kanakapura Road, created panic among residents of nearby localities on Sunday evening.
Images of the fire scything through the tree cover had gone viral on social media. Forest department received an alert around 5.40pm and foresters, with the help of locals, doused the flames by 6.30pm.

Officials described the blaze as a ground fire. "It was lit on the border and then spread," they added.

Dipika Bajpai, deputy conservator of forests, Bengaluru Urban, said the fire was minor. "Nowadays, such incidents have become common in Turahalli and we suspect they are acts of mischief-mongers or some negligent people who throw away cigarette and beedi butts," she said.

"The fire was noticed near the Shobha Apartment side of the forest. Our staff, with the help of locals, were able to control it in time. This participative approach has become our strength in tackling incidents like fire," she added.

Popularly known as Turahalli Park, the forest draws hundreds of young Bengalureans through the week, peaking during weekends. While the entry of motor vehicles is banned inside the forest, the green space is a haven for cyclists, trekkers, rock climbers and walkers. With a rocky hill and temple inside it, Turahalli is the only surviving forest patch of Bengaluru Urban district.