Chopal: Villagers of Koti and surrounding areas had a harrowing time on Monday a forest fire leapt out of nearby grasslands (ghasnis) and raced towards houses and apple orchards in Chopal subdivision of Shimla district.
Fanned by dry winds, the flames spread rapidly, forcing residents to rush out and form human chains by pressing into service spraying machines to save homes and orchards from being gutted.
Apple growers said the fire singed orchard fences, damaged young plants and came dangerously close to stored farm material like feed haystack and fuel woods stocked by winter months.
With the dry spell continuing, farmers have been clearing dead leaves and pruned twigs from orchards, removing combustible waste in a desperate bid to prevent further losses.
Forest department teams, along with villagers, worked along fire lines like roads and paths and cut fire lines by burning to contain the blaze.
However, residents said recurring fires over the past week have already spelt doom for large parts of the apple belt in Shimla district, with repeated flare-ups leaving growers anxious and exhausted.
As the dry weather persists, locals fear more fires unless immediate preventive measures are taken.
More details are available on www.himbumail.com.
