EM Bureau
Dimapur, March 2 (EMN): Timely intervention by personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) prevented major catastrophe following a jungle fire which broke at three different places in Kensa village in Mokokchung district, Noklak, Medziphema in Dimapur district and Meriema village in Kohima district on March 1 and 2.
A massive wildfire broke out under Khensa village jurisdiction on Tuesday afternoon in Mokokchung district forcing the emergency forces and hundreds of volunteers from Yimyu ward and Khensa to jump into action.
EAC Ongpangkong, Sangpangchang Longkumer confirmed the incident to Eastern Mirror. Khensa Village Council chairman Imtitoshi reported that the fire started from Tzuza River. However, they could not ascertain the extent of damage caused by the raging fire.
Fire fighters and SDRF personnel, who reached the spot on time and doused fire before it could reach NI Jamir Higher. Sec. School and surrounding human inhabited area at Yimyu ward. The fire was reported around 2 pm.
Imtitoshi also said “we don’t know how long it will take to defuse the fire, but we were able to bring the fire under control at Yimyu area at around 7:30 pm.”
He also assured that they called upon all able men from Yimyu ward and Khensa village to control the raging fire. “We have called for reinforcement from Yimyu ward and Khensa village and assume that we will be able to control the fire by late evening itself,” said Imtitoshi.
EAC Ongpangkong also said that the firefighters and SDRF personnel are closely monitoring the situation and are on stand-by mode to prevent the wildfire from reaching the human inhabited areas.
The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained and volunteers from Yimyu ward and Khensa village were still fighting the fire till the filing of this report.
An update from the Fire department further stated that a fire broke near KBCA at Komking in Noklak on March 1 at around 2 pm. It stated that a detached team from the Fire Station in Tuensang stationed at Noklak was pressed into action to control the fire.
It stated that the timely response prevented the fire from spreading to the adjoining area adding it took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to douse the fire. Cause of the fire could not be ascertained and there was no report of any casualty.
Another jungle fire broke out at the School of Agricultural Science and Rural Development (SASRD), Nagaland University, Medziphema, on March 1 at round 1:48 pm. It stated that a quick response team from Fire Station, Chümoukedima, along with fire tenders and sufficient equipment was pressed into action to control the fire.
It added that plantation and crops were destroyed in the inferno. While the cause of fire could not be ascertained, it stated that there was no casualty. It took about three hours for the team to douse the fire, the report added.
In another incident, a fire at Meriema village below New High Court, Kohima, broke out on March 1 at around 4:40 pm. It stated a quick response team from Fire Station Kohima (North) was pressed into service to control the fire.
It stated that the timely response of the personnel prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining areas. It took nearly two hours for the team to douse the fire, it added.
The cause of fire could not be ascertained and there was no report of any casualty.
