1,038 forest fires reported this summer in Himachal, 38 FIRs registered

Twenty-five forest fires were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, taking the number of such blazes during this summer season to 1,038 so far, officials said. Property worth about Rs 3 crore has been damaged, they said. However, no casualty was reported, said Assistant Chief Conservator of Forests Pushpinder Rana. "We have over 3,000 local field officers and holidays of staff have been cancelled," he told PTI, adding that 18,000 volunteers of the state disaster management authority are rendering help and 'aapada mitra' (volunteers for disaster response) have also come forward to help the forest department in dousing the fire. "So far 38 FIRs have been registered and 600 complaints have been given to the police for investigation and action against offenders, and we have also asked the general public to share photos and videos if they see someone lighting fire in the forests," he added. Himachal Pradesh's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Rajiv Kumar attributed the forest