Forest fire on Bangalore University campus, two fire engines rushed to spot

A forest fire has broken out on the campus of Bangalore University located on Mysuru Road in Bengaluru. The fire broke out on Friday morning in the shrubbery located near Pariksha Bhavan on the campus, which is 100 metres away from the administrative block. Two engines have been sent to the spot to help douse the blaze. An official from the Bengaluru fire department told TNM at 1 pm that fire fighting operations have been going on for two hours. No injuries have been reported so far. Visuals from the spot showed a large patch of dry grass on fire, with officials trying to douse it.

Grass fire and the dry weather and higher temperatures in Bengaluru may have accelerated the fire. Such fires are common in Bengaluru and officials say the fire may have been sparked by a cigarette butt that may have been disposed of at the spot. An employee working at the the University told TNM that the campus has many eucalyptus trees, which create a lot of dry leaves in the summer, which are susceptible to catching fire. The lack of shade also adds to the factors that help the fire spread, the University staffer told TNM, adding that if such incidents need to be stopped, the eucalyptus trees need to be replaced and other trees need to be planted in their place. 

Last year too, a forest fire had broken out at the University's Jnanabharati campus in March 2020, and at that time too, some dried eucalyptus leaves that had piled up at the spot had caught fire.

This is a developing story.