Forest fire engulfs Nainital's High Court colony; army called in for support

• Forest fires in Uttarakhand escalate damaging over 33.34 hectares of forest land
• Fires reaches Nainital's High Court colony; army called for support
• District administration has banned boating in Naini Lake in view of the blaze

The escalating forest fires in Uttarakhand reached alarming proportions on Friday, extending to the High Court Colony in Nainital. The severity of the situation prompted authorities to arrest three individuals in Rudraprayag for attempting to ignite further blazes in the forests.

Over the past 24 hours, 31 new incidents of forest fires have been reported across the state, resulting in the destruction of 33.34 hectares of forest land. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has urged officials to maintain vigilance and collaborate across departments to mitigate the fires effectively.

Anil Joshi, an assistant registrar of the High Court and a resident of the affected area, reported, "The fire has reached dangerously close to buildings in the High Court Colony, although no damage has been reported yet. Efforts are underway since evening to control the fire."

Nainital Divisional Forest Officer Chandrashekhar Joshi disclosed, "We have deployed 40 personnel from Manora Range and two forest rangers to combat the fire." According to the Forest Department's daily bulletin, the Kumaon region witnessed 26 forest fire incidents, while the Garhwal region recorded five incidents in the last 24 hours, resulting in significant forest area damage."