Forest Department personnel, assisted by hill residents, doused a forest fire in Kambathrayan Hill in the Kadambur Hills of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) on Thursday (September 3, 2026) night, after battling the blaze for three days.

The fire broke out on Tuesday (September 1) night and spread rapidly along the steep terrain, damaging hundreds of acres of grass and other vegetation. Dense growth of dry broom and lemon grass, coupled with strong winds and high temperatures, contributed to the spread of the flames.

More than 100 Forest Department personnel drawn from various ranges, along with local villagers, were involved in the operation. The teams relied largely on manual efforts as the affected area was inaccessible to vehicles and difficult to reach.

Damage being assessed

K. Rajkumar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the STR, told that the teams braved high winds and high temperatures to contain the fire and douse the flames on Thursday night. He said patrolling of the affected area was continuing on Friday and an assessment of the damage to vegetation was being carried out using drones. Tall grass, particularly Seemar grass, strong winds, high temperatures and the difficult terrain posed major challenges to the teams, he said.