November 27, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 16, 1428

UPPER DIR, Nov 26: Police, forest officials and local people succeeded on Monday in extinguishing a fire in Junkai and Darak forests after three days of efforts. The Dir-Kohistan district forest officer said hundreds of people had taken part in the operation. However, other sources said the fire had not died down.

The Lamoti forest also caught fire on Monday morning but the officer said it would be extinguished soon.

A forest department official, Mohammad Shakil, had said earlier that about 1,400 local people engaged in putting out the flames were facing difficulties because of lack of facilities in the remote area.

People were digging trenches to stop the fire from spreading and elders of the area had announced that those villagers who did not participate in the efforts would be fined Rs500 each.

Local people and police sources said the fire had caused a loss of millions of rupees.

However, the district forest officer claimed that only bushes had been burnt and trees were safe.

He said the fire was not a result of sabotage.

Another official said negligence of nomads might have caused the fire.