Udhampur, May 26 -- A forest fire that broke out in the Narthan forest area of Panchayat Hartyan in Block Ghordi of Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district has been raging for the last three days, officials said on Tuesday.

The fire, which falls under the Ramnagar Forest Division, was reportedly triggered by a sudden rise in temperature and has spread rapidly due to strong winds in the region.

Community members living in nearby areas have joined firefighting efforts in a desperate bid to protect their homes. However, strong winds blowing through the region are further fueling the fire, causing it to spread rapidly across the difficult forest terrain and severely complicating efforts to bring the situation under control.

Divisional Forest...