In the first half of the year, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced a troubling 306 forest fires. Abbottabad was the hardest hit, accounting for about 122 of these incidents.
District Lower Dir had 45 fire incidents, while Malakand saw 23. Orakzai and Battagram recorded 19 incidents each, causing extensive damage to forested areas.
According to the data, Swabi reported 17 fires, Upper Dir had 10, Mardan experienced nine, Karak saw eight, and Mohmand recorded six incidents. Additionally, Khyber, D.I. Khan, and Kohat each had four fires. Buner, Lower Chitral, Shangla, and North Waziristan each reported three incidents, while South Waziristan had two.
Tank and Bajaur each experienced one fire. The fire in Lower Dir’s Badwan Adan Zai Hill was controlled after a six-day operation.
According to an official from the KP Forest Department, 249 fire incidents in the province damaged approximately 1,918 hectares of forest land.
The official stated that these fires affected both public and private properties. The causes of the fires included negligence, accidental sparks, and natural factors such as lightning.
The department has launched public awareness campaigns in response to the high number of fire incidents. These campaigns focus on educating the community about fire prevention, the importance of safety measures, and the appropriate actions to take during a fire.
