A fire that erupted in the Singara Forest Range in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) was put out by forest staff, but ended up razing around five acres of forest.
Forest Department officials from MTR said that the fire was noticed at around 11 a.m, following which forest rangers from Singara and Masinagudi ranges, S. Kanthan and N. Mariappan, along with anti-poaching watchers, fire watchers, and local residents, including SUV drivers from the Masinagudi area, managed to organise an operation to put out the blaze.
Officials said that after about two hours, the fire was finally extinguished. A preliminary survey of the fire ravaged areas has shown that around five acres of grassland were destroyed, officials said, stating that they were still investigating to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.