ISLAMABAD: Project Director Billion Tree Tsunami Muhammad Tehmasip Tuesday said the forest fire flared up in the forests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was due to extreme hot weather.
“Most of the fire mainly 50 per cent of the total affected area has occurred in Chir Pine forests which was a natural phenomenon; however the rest occurred in other different parts of the forest area. The trees burnt as per initial reports are over 100,000 which is 0.001 per cent of the total 1.2 billion planted trees. It will be retrieved in the coming Monsoon season’s extensive plantation,” he said.
He said, “Pine forests are biologically phylogenic in nature (caused or produced by combustion or the application of heat) as fire is necessary for its growth where combustion helps removing thorns and shrubs grown at the bottom level that hinders Chir trees growth. It needs light for improved development which fire helps to improve where this plant naturally regrows after setting ablaze. There is no risk for the loss of forest cover in the area as it will be retrieved automatically.
He said the next plantation period during spring season from January to March would also help in scaling up the dropped number of trees after fire incidents. Tehmasip informed that around 25 individuals were injured during the fire eruption and the survey was in progress to ascertain the true situation.
He added that most of the fire-affected forests were of Billion Tree Tsunami project. “As many as 90 forest fire incidents in the woods located at different mountains have been reported. However, six people have perished in the fires reported in the past years,” he mentioned.(INP)
