Devastating fire decimates over 3,000 hectares of forest tree cover in Kotli Sattian

ISLAMABAD: Locals narrate harrowing details of putting out devastating forest fire believed to be human induced, in the ecologically sensitive Kotli Sattian region of Punjab. Caught in the middle of burning towering Pine trees, smoke, and immense heat was Fareha Yousaf and her family. “The ground was so hot that I could feel my feet burn,” Ms Yousaf said. Fareha Yousaf, her husband and two daughters along with their five to six staff members struggled to put out flames that had reached the small fence surrounding their house in Karore village in Kotli Sattian. In the images and videos she shared, her two daughters and staff could be seen picking dry pine needle and shrubs, while others scooped water with plastic mugs from a bucket of water to douse the flames. Fareha Yousaf said there was a burning sensation inside from inhaling smoke. The fires that raged for two days decimated an estimated 3,326.4 hectares of natural forest tree cover across 27 locations in the protected and ecologically rich forest. Forest fire destroyed over 3,000 hectares in Kotli Sattian amid heat wave. According to satellite data released by Suparco on Space4Climate.gov.pk, the analysis comparing imagery from May 9 to May 29 showed extensive damage in Chir pine forests. These forests play a key role in protecting sub-watersheds linked to the Indus and Jhelum river basins. Forest Inspector, Forest Department Punjab, Mohammad Tufail told Dawn that flames reached a towering 100 feet fuelled by gusts of stormy winds. “These are educated people, quite sensitised about risks and consequences of triggering forest fires. It’s lamentable that anyone would act so carelessly,” he said, explaining that in his area of jurisdiction, which was labeled, Forest 99, fires had not raged since 2016-17. He complained about lack of proper firefighting equipment and manpower to overcome forest fires. “We were less than a dozen forest staff members with brooms to put out flames that were engulfing Pine trees and dry