Fire breaks out in forest adjacent to Buddhist site in Julian

HARIPUR: A fire broke out in the forest adjacent to the ancient Buddhist site of Julian, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, reportedly due to the carelessness of picnickers who had been cooking food and swimming in nearby canals.

Rescue 1122’s firefighting team from Khanpur brought the blaze under control after two hours of effort. Sources say that the individuals responsible for the fire left the site after cooking and failed to extinguish the flames properly.

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The assistant director of the Julian archaeological site took notice of the incident and directed staff to reach the scene immediately. Upon arrival, they contacted rescue services and the police. The police responded promptly, reprimanded those found swimming nearby, and cleared out the adjacent canal.

Residents of the area expressed frustration, saying that thrill-seekers from outside have become a nuisance in their upscale neighborhood. “They roam our residential areas half-naked and bathe in the canal linked to our locality, which has led to multiple clashes,” one resident said.

Locals have appealed to the authorities to close off the private access route from the inner side and ban outsiders from entering residential areas to preserve privacy and prevent further incidents like this fire.

Sources confirmed that the blaze was caused by young individuals who cooked food near the canal and left the fire unattended. Strong winds helped the flames spread rapidly through dry grass. If not for the timely response, the fire could have destroyed the nearby cultural heritage site.