Margalla Hills fire brought under control, cooling process underway: district admin

ISLAMABAD: A fire which erupted in the capital’s Margalla Hills near the F-5 sector on Monday was “completely” brought under control and the cooling process was underway, the district administration said. According to a statement, “The fire has been completely brought under control, and the cooling process is underway.” However, there are no official reports of any losses so far. A contingent of firefighters had reached the site to extinguish the blaze, alongside local residents, the administration said in a prior statement. As a result of the fire, all hiking trails in the Margalla Hills were temporarily closed,” the statement added. Spread over 12,605 hectares, the Margalla Hills National Park witnesses many fires during the summer season, which, in recent years, have become a matter of concern for the government and the Capital Development Authority (CDA). In March, ahead of the fire season, the city managers held a meeting to devise a strategy to handle the issue. It was decided that the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), the CDA and the district administration would work as one unit to prevent fire incidents in the Margalla Hills. It was also decided that the number of pickets in the hills would be increased to improve monitoring.