Vegetation on the vast tract of Balooru reserve forest at Charmadi Ghat in the taluk has been destroyed in a forest blaze.

The fire was first spotted at the forest foothills near  Annappa Swami temple on late Tuesday night. The blaze soon spread far and wide on the dry grassland.

Various species of plants and trees have been destroyed in the forest fire. Many wild sheep, deer species, butterflies are suspected to have perished in the fire. The drive to douse the forest blaze is underway.

Five days back, a minor fire was spotted in the reserve forest. The Forest guards managed to douse the fire.  The officials suspect that miscreants might have set the dry grass on fire, which turned into a blaze.