Sariska Tiger Reserve blaze continues to rage, SDRF rushing more teams

Jaipur, April 4 (IANS) A major fire at the Sariska Tiger Reserve continued to rage on Monday, prompting the SDRF to send to more teams to help douse the fire, informed officials told IANS.The SDRF is sending one company from Ajmer and one from Jaipur as it has limited resources, while two companies were already sent on Sunday night, the officials said."This time we are sending additional water tankers which were limited to one the last time when the fire erupted," they added.The blaze which erupted on Sunday evening has spread to 5-6 km of the forest's area.Another fire which erupted on on Friday was contained the same day.Sources have said that forest officials were not taking the fire seriously as it is yet to be completely doused.Earlier, forest officials were busy attending to Anjali Tendulkar, wife of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, despite the fact that the fire had erupted at the reserve which is home to many tigers in the desert state.Forests fire erupt basically for three reasons -- natural causes; throwing of a lit cigarette carelessly in the forest; and smugglers igniting a fire to pave their way into jungles.The officials told IANS that forest authorities need to probe all these angles thoroughly.The new blaze barely a week after another area of the Sariska Reservve came under the grip of severe wildfire which was contained with the help of Indian Air Force helicopters.
--IANS arc/ksk/

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