A massive fire engulfed one of the forest compartments of Manasbal Forest Range in Kangan area of Ganderbal district.
The fire broke out in Compartment No 26 in Wangath area of the Manasbal Forest Range on Saturday evening and engulfed a large area.
The affected forest compartment is a wildlife area spread over several hectares of land.
Locals said the raging forest fire caused huge damage to the green gold, particularly the saplings.
An official of the Fire and Emergency Service told Greater Kashmir that it had deputed its teams to the place to douse the fire. However, he said the forests in the area are too dense and it was difficult to douse the fire immediately.
“So far, we have managed to douse 70 percent of the fire and efforts are on to ensure that fire doesn’t spread further,” the official said.