A massive fire broke out near the Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve on Wednesday. The flames could be seen from HD Kote Taluk in Mysuru district around 2pm. Forest officials along with fire department personnel were pressed into action to extinguish the blaze.

“We have not yet ascertained the cause of the fire, but it is usually man-made. The fire occurred around the edge of the forest from where the safari track starts. We have fire brigades stationed near the forest which were pressed into action. The fire was contained immediately,” said Sanjai Mohan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Karnataka.

Passers-by could see huge plumes of smoke as the fire raged on hindering visibility. Locals were seen dousing the fire with palm leaves in certain areas. The speed of the wind caused the blaze to spread far and fast. About 25 to 30 acres of forest is likely to have been damaged in the fire, according to forest officials.