QUETTA: A significant fire that erupted in the ecologically vital pine and olive forests of Balochistan’s Shirani district has been successfully brought under control, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The blaze, which threatened a key natural habitat and economic resource, was extinguished through a coordinated operation involving multiple agencies and local communities.
Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Jahanzeb Khan Ghorizai, detailed the challenging mission. He stated that despite the difficult mountainous terrain and harsh weather conditions, rescue teams from PDMA Balochistan, aided by modern firefighting techniques, managed to fully control the inferno. The operation was conducted with crucial support from the Forest Department, Levies force, and local tribes of the area, who worked in unison to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Ghorizai, who also serves as the Relief Commissioner, emphasized the importance of the saved woodlands. “These beautiful and valuable natural forests of pine and olive trees in Sherani are also an important source of wildlife habitat, natural resources and a local economy dependent on forests,” he said. The successful containment has therefore preserved a critical ecosystem and livelihood base for residents.
The people of the area have expressed their profound gratitude to PDMA and all involved forces for their timely and effective action, which averted a potential ecological and economic disaster. The swift response highlights the importance of inter-departmental collaboration and community involvement in managing environmental emergencies in Balochistan’s remote regions. An assessment of the damage caused before containment is expected to follow.
Earlier the Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti has expressed grave concern over the fire raging in the mountain forests of Sherani district and has declared an all-out emergency response to combat the blaze.
In urgent directives issued to provincial authorities, CM Bugti emphasized that “forests are a national asset,” affirming his government’s commitment to taking every possible step to protect these vital natural resources from destruction
CM Bugti orders all-out effort to contain Sherani district forest fire
