Public advised to remain vigilant regarding forest wildfires owing to dry weather

Due to the prevailing dry weather conditions, many forests in the island could be prone to wildfires, the Government Information Department warned.

Forest fires in the Badulla, Moneragala, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and Polonnaruwa districts are common owing to species of pines and eucalyptus growing in these regions which have the potential to cause fires, it said.

Further, the Department added that the main cause behind the forest fires was owing to human activity, with forests being burnt owing to farming, and disposing of cigarette ends and other items that could catch fire being thrown into the dry forest lands.  

In addition, the Information Department highlighted that 118 wildfires were reported in 2016, 70 fires in 2017, and 156 fires in 2018.

Accordingly, the Forest Conservation Department has requested the public to be vigilant and to pay special attention to sudden wildfires that could be stopped by alerting authorities in advance on the 1991 emergency hotline.