BENGALURU: A major fire broke out in the Jarakabandekaval forest patch near Yelahanka recently. It took forest officials over two hours to bring the situation under control. According to forest officials, miscreants started a fire in four different spots which resulted in over eight hectares of forest land being gutted. The entire forest patch is spread across 450 acres.

The area has been in the news because of encroachments, and only recently, the forest department cleared them. “Taking advantage of the lockdown, some miscreants started a fire and because of the weather, the fire only spread,” Bengaluru urban deputy conservator of forests C Siddaramappa told The New Indian Express.

“It seems to be a deliberate act as some time back, encroachers were evicted from this area (B Block of the forest patch),” he said.