On Friday evening (April 20th) a fire broke out on the Hill slope directly behind Ramana Ashram. Many people had recently remarked on how dry Arunachala was looking. Which was a consequence of very hot days since mid February and the lack of a substantial water table because of the meagre rainfall last season thereby depriving moisture to the plants and trees.
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| Photograph of Hill Fire night - April 20, 2012 |
The fire devastated vast tracts of greenery on the Hill, starting on the south slope and spreading eastwards and upwards. A group of volunteers and some forest personnel were on the Hill throughout the night in an effort to beat out the flames with bunches of green plants and tree branches.
Although there were fire lines on the Hill created by gaps between the foliage, the fire crossed many of these fire lines because of strong winds.
Dry lemon grass which caught fire on the Hill was instrumental in the speed and ferocity of the conflagration. Sadly large tracts of greenery planted over the years and also newly planted saplings have been destroyed.
