Over five acres of state estate land destroyed in fire ; 52 environmental fires this year : DMC

Over five acres of land at a state-owned estate in Walakanduwa, Akmeena has been destroyed due to a fire that erupted last evening.

The fire was doused with the assistance of two fire brigades, the Akmeemana police and area residents.

A total of 52 enviornmental fire related incidents have been reported since the beginning of this year, the Disaster Management Centre said.

It is believed that these fires have been set by hunters in order to scare animals before trapping them. This illegal act coupled with the prevailing heat has caused a rapid spread of such fires.

More than 500 acres of land have been destroyed during the last three months, the Department of Wildlife said adding that lands include forest reserves, estates, and forest patches.

Accordingly, steps have been taken to deploy Wildlife Officers in order to apprehend the individuals who are involved behind these incidents.

(Reporting by Damith Wickramasekara)