- Authorities brought the fire under control at two locations in Margalla Hills on Friday.
- Authorities established a firebreak to stop the spread of flames: DC.
- Blaze has been controlled in Kurd Sharif: official.
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Authorities on Sunday doused another forest fire that broke out in Margalla Hills as the country remains in the grip of a heat wave.
The latest fire broke out just a day after the federal capital authorities brought the fire under control at two separate places in the Margalla hills.
However, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Memon said that the fire broke out again in the part of Margalla Hills located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today.
He said teams of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were present at the spot to control the fire, adding that 36 firefighters participated in the extinguishing operation.
The deputy commissioner said authorities established a firebreak to prevent flames from entering the federal city.
The Islamabad administration took joint efforts with the KP government to contain the flames, he added.
The Margalla range, part of the foothills of the Himalayas, has experienced forest fires relatively frequently in the summer months.
Of late, the fire broke out intermittently in the hills of Islamabad. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the fires are related to high temperatures or are due to arson.
However, three suspects were detained on suspicion of having started the forest fires, the capital's administration reported on Friday.
Fires ravage forest areas in Punjab and KP
Moreover, the fire also broke out in the forest area which spread over an area of 15 to 20 acres located in Baghar Sharif area in Kahuta Tehsil of Rawalpindi.
Rescuers and police are battling the flames to bring it under control.
Rescue officials said the risk of fire spread was increasing due to it being a rugged and mountainous area, adding that rescue officials are extinguishing the fire wherever it is accessible.
The district administration launched an emergency operation and asked for more personnel and machinery to contain the fire.
Meanwhile, a fire that broke out a day earlier in Kurd Sharif forest area, located in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, damaged a large number of valuable trees and wildlife.
According to those responsible for the rescue services, the fire has been brought under control in Kurd Sharif, but smoke was still rising in some areas.
They said due to lack of land access, rescue personnel were facing difficulties as teams were sent to the affected area through Mianwali.
According to rescue official Malik Nurul Amin, the fire has been extinguished but the cooling process is underway in the areas where smoke is rising.
Parts of Pakistan have experienced temperatures as high as 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 F) over the past week, and South Asia has been sweltering in a hotter summer this year, a trend that scientists say has been worsened by the human-driven climate change.
