Fire razes jungles in Tseminyu, contained with community effort

A jungle fire blazing through dry grass at Tseminyu on Thursday.

• KOHIMA — A massive fire broke out near Tseminyu town, ravaging jungles located half a kilometre below the national highway, on Thursday.
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• The fire was reportedly caused by jhum (slash-and-burn) activity in preparation for sowing of seeds as part of the traditional terrace cultivation, Keneisezo Chadi, ASI of Fire Station Chiephobozou, told Eastern Mirror.
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• After receiving information at 1.15 pm, it took the fire crew (six members) around 30 minutes to reach the side. With one fire tender, the fire crew and volunteers managed to douse the fire, he said.

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• The battle to contain the fire lasted a few hours, and the team could disperse from the fire site at around 5 pm only.
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• Kegwayhun Tep, the president of Rengma Selo Zi, also informed that the fire that broke out in the afternoon caused damage to plantations and farmland. The forest fire was doused before it could reach the vicinity of the town, he said.
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• Youths from Tseminyu village, T Zisunyu, and Tseminyu town volunteered to participate in the community effort to douse the fire.
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• He informed that the Fire and Emergency Services is on the verge of completing the fire station at Tseminyu, but it is yet to set up the office.
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• The inhabitants of Tseminyu district largely practise jhum cultivation and are prone to forest fires.
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• In this regard, the Rengma Selo Zi, on behalf of the citizens of Tseminyu, has appealed to the government and the department of Fire & Emergency Services to set up the office at the earliest.