The Forest Department has created fire lines in several areas of the seven forest ranges coming under Coimbatore Forest Division in view of summer.
The first forest fire of the season in the division was reported at Thadagam central beat of Coimbatore forest range on March 29 which was promptly extinguished by Department staff on the same day. Fire lines are created by charring dry leaves, grass along forest boundaries to prevent fire spreading to forest.
Apart from creating fire line, the Department has formed fire watchers for each forest range using its own staff.
The Department has also formed fire lines outside forest areas through the help of volunteers of non-governmental organisations to prevent spread of fire from private lands. Volunteers of Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT) created such fire line outside forest area in Coimbatore range.
P. Shanmugasundaram of CWCT said that fire line for a stretch of 2.5 km was created outside forest between Kanuvai and Maruthamalai.