Srinagar, March 4 -- A major forest fire has been burning across the Arin and Chandaji forest areas of North Kashmir's Bandipora district for several days, with a fresh forest blaze reported to have broken out in the Zabarwan forest belt near Dachigam side of Srinagar, authorities informed on Wednesday.

The blaze has rapidly spread across a substantial area of the hillside forest, causing heavy smoke.

Meanwhile, a seasonal mud house, locally known as a 'Dhoak', was gutted in a fire under suspicious circumstances in the upper reaches of Sanasar in Ramban district earlier on March 1, officials said.

The hut belonged to Qasim Din, son of Late Raj Ali and a resident of Kaimal Danga, Udhampur. However, no one was present inside the structur...