About 2,500 hectares destroyed by forest fires

In the first seven months of this year, about 2,500 hectares of forests and grasslands have been burnt and destroyed by various people, Forest Conservation Department’s Additional Conservator General Nishantha Edirisinghe said. He said that the most damage has been caused to

grasslands of the country through these fires and it is about 2,000 hectares. About 150 cases of arson have been reported so far and 15 people involved in them have been arrested in the last month.

Edirisinghe further said that there are no reports of forest fires in the country and all these fires are set by people and due to the prevailing wind and dry weather it has become very difficult to control the spread of fire. A person found guilty of forest fire can be fined from Rs.10,000 to 100,000 rupees, imprisoned up to five years or both.

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