A wildfire broke out again in Margalla Hills National Park in Islamabad on Friday, caused by a severe heatwave. The fire started near Kalenjar village and spread quickly across the hills. As soon as the fire was reported, officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and fire brigade teams rushed to the area to try to put out the flames.
Many people took videos of the smoke rising from the hills and shared their worries about the impact on wildlife. Recently, there had been two other fires in the Chiran Di Gali and Saidpur areas. It took firefighters and three helicopters from the defence authorities and the Prime Minister’s Office about seven hours to get those fires under control.
Unfortunately, the next day, new fires broke out in 15 different places, and it took another eight hours of hard work to extinguish them.
Margalla Hills National Park is a large area, covering 12,605 hectares. It is managed by the CDA and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB).
The frequent fires have raised serious concerns about the safety of the park’s wildlife and natural resources, as well as the ability of the authorities to handle such emergencies. This situation highlights the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions and the need for better fire management and prevention strategies in the park.
