Hundreds of acres destroyed in wildfire

Vegetation on hundreds of acres of forest was destroyed in wildfire at Kollegal wildlife range, under Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, on Monday afternoon.

The fire was spotted near Gundal and continued till evening. According to Forest department officials, it is the handiwork of some miscreants.

By the time the department personnel rushed to the spot, hundreds of acres was gutted. BRT Tiger Reserve Deputy Conservator of Forest G Santosh Kumar said, "The fire was doused by the personnel by evening and prevented it from spreading further. They are still camping in the region. The exact loss is yet to be ascertained."