Today, firefighters and hundreds of voluntary members from the community are spending their second day batting fires across difficult terrain in Lunglei, with one petrol pump vigilantly guarded by a team of firefighters in case the worse happens. A part from the loss of homes and structures, it was a tragic sight to see wild animals frantically coming to the residential areas as they flee from their habitats to save themselves from the wildfire
The fire is reported to have started on the morning of 24.04.2021 from an unknown source in Salsih area which is located in the northern part of Lunglei. The fire continued its path through Bazar Veng, Zotlang and Serkawn. Many residents within these areas have moved out of their homes with their belongings under the supervision of firefighters. People in the nearby localities are also advised to vacate their homes for safety measure. Volunteers from the community and firefighters are working relentlessly to stop the fire from spreading further. However, they are facing a major problem which is the scarcity of water as the area has been deprived of rainfall for many months.
March- April being the time when farm areas are burnt for cultivation in Mizoram, wildfires has occured in different parts of the state since yesterday. Serchhip, Tlabung and Lurhtlang are some of the known areas affected. The weather has been relatively dry in the recent weeks which aided the spread of these wildfires.
