Jammu, May 29 : As the heatwave continued in parts of the Jammu region, devastating fire engulfed the forest area along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Fire broke out in Sawni Sassalkote forest area in Rajouri district on Tuesday and spread to nearby areas due to strong winds,” said official sources.

They said firefighting operations launched by the forest department and Forest Protection Force are in progress and are still ongoing to control the blaze.

Meanwhile, the locals also joined the forest department officials in the operation to extinguish the flames, they added.

“Due to the rising temperature, around 12 to 15 fire incidents are being reported daily from the forest belts in parts of the region,” they added.

UNI