SWABI, June 1: A fire that broke out in forest near Tarbela dam’s power house was put out after 10 hours of hectic efforts, sources told Dawn on Friday.

They said that the fire broke out at 8.45pm on Thursday in the jungle near the switchyard and base workshop of the power house of Tarbela Dam.

An official said that the fire was caused by a spark in an electricity transformer near the switchyard. “The dry grass nearby caught fire which started spreading due to strong winds,” he said.

Mohammad Iqbal, chief engineer of Tarbela Dam and Ghazi Barotha, general manager Mohammad Umer and other officers supervised the efforts to control fire.

A security officer, who was present during the nightlong efforts, said: “It was a sleepless and difficult night for the entire staff of Tarbela dam, but we salute all of them for displaying a tremendous courage.”

Answering a question, the officer said that the fire covered an area of about two to three miles, turning the jungle into ashes. The fire-fighting operation continued all the night, he said.