Pune: A wildfire broke out near the Katraj Ghat area in Pune, Maharashtra, on Sunday, March 10. The forest fire broke out around 8:00 pm. Local media reports quote an official from the Katraj Fire Station as saying that the fire was possibly caused because of lit cigarettes.

"In the evening time, lots of people and couples visit the place and smoke cigarettes. It is assumed that the fire was caused because of the cigarettes. The Forest Department informed our control room around 8:10 PM about the fire and we immediately sent our Katraj Fire Station vehicle along with the Navale Fire Brigade to control the fire. It took around 2 hours to completely douse the fire,” Fire Officer Sachin Shinde told Pune Pulse.

The officer has requested the public not to play with fire or light cigarettes in the forest area, which can help in preventing a wildfire that can cause harm to animals and humans if it becomes uncontrollable.

The wildfire could have spread to the nearby Bhilarewadi Ghat and other areas and caused damaged, he said. The officer urged the forest department to write to the police requesting increased surveillance and restrict people from visiting the area and lighting cigarettes.