23 May 2004	Sunday	03 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

HARIPUR, May 22: A wildfire that broke out on Friday and could not be extinguished till Saturday evening, has destroyed a vast part of the Makhnial area of the Khanpur forest range, locals said. The blaze started near Bhalray village and had spread to the Khanpur area of Haripur district and the CDA forest range of Islamabad.

A resident of the Bhalray village, Shiraz Turk, who heads an NGO, told this correspondent that some miscreants showed a burning matchstick to dry grass which soon turned into big flames.

He said the fire had destroyed trees of Kao, Sanatha, wild pomegranate, etc. in an area of about 9km and forced birds and animals to migrate to safe areas.

He said although the forest fire had been a permanent phenomenon causing small damage to trees every year but, he added, the current blaze was more severe.

He said that volunteers from the nearby villages had managed to put out the flames from near the populated areas. But, he pointed out, as the wind was blowing westward (to the direction of forest) the fire had entered the Khanpur forest range destroying about 1km area and playing havoc in the inaccessible hilly parts of Makhnial range.

He feared that if not controlled the fire would cause extensive damage to the nearby CDA forest range of Islamabad and the Khanpur range.

Mr Turk claimed that he had informed the DFO about the blaze on Friday but the officials had failed to turn up.