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2 forest fire incidents reported in Pune hills; authorities suspect man-made fire in Bopdev
Forest officials said they are still assessing the exact extent of the damage, though no major loss to wildlife has been reported so far.
Pune: Two separate forest fire incidents were reported in the hills surrounding Pune on Sunday evening, with blazes breaking out in the Bopdev Ghat forest area and on a privately-owned hill in Susgaon. Authorities brought both fires under control after several hours of firefighting efforts.
Forest officials said they are still assessing the exact extent of the damage, though no major loss to wildlife has been reported so far.
The first incident was reported from the forested stretch near Bopdev Ghat, where flames spread across dry grassland and shrubs on the hillside. Teams from the forest department, along with local volunteers, rushed to the spot and worked to contain the blaze.
Suresh Varak, range forest officer, Pune, said officials suspect the fire may have been deliberately set.
“Prima facie, it appears to be a man-made incident. We are assessing the damage and the exact area affected. An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause,” Varak said.
Officials added that they will assess the ecological impact, including loss of vegetation and any potential effect on biodiversity, once the site cools and a detailed survey is carried out.
In another incident reported the same evening, a fire broke out on a hill in Susgaon, near Pune’s western outskirts. The blaze mainly affected private land covered with vegetation and scrub growth.
Sagar Hole, forest guard, Paud forest range, said officials conducted an on-site inspection after controlling the fire.
“The incident occurred mainly on private land. Very little forest area was affected. Our inspection so far has not indicated any significant damage to the forest region, though the impact was largely limited to the privately forested patch,” Hole said.
He added that the exact cause of the fire is still unknown and further inquiry is underway.
Forest fires tend to increase during the early summer months in Maharashtra, particularly from March onwards, when rising temperatures, dry grass and low humidity create highly combustible conditions in open forest and hill ecosystems. Even a small spark can quickly spread across slopes covered with dry vegetation.
Officials noted that in several past incidents across Pune district, fires were found to be man-made, often caused by activities such as burning dry grass, carelessly discarded cigarette butts, or attempts to clear land.
With the onset of summer, the forest department has urged citizens and trekkers visiting hill areas to avoid lighting fires or throwing burning objects, warning that such actions can trigger large-scale blazes and threaten the fragile hill ecosystems around the city.
