Haldwani, May 27 -- A massive forest fire that broke out in the Valdiyakhan-Patwadanger stretch of Nainital district on Sunday was brought under control after nearly 36 hours of firefighting operations, forest officials said on Tuesday. According to Akash Gangwar, divisional forest officer (DFO), Nainital Forest Division, the blaze originated in the Valdiyakhan forests on Sunday evening and rapidly spread towards Patwadanger due to strong winds. "The fire started in the Valdiyakhan forests on Sunday evening and efforts to douse it continued till Monday morning. However, strong winds caused the blaze to spread up to Patwadanger," said Akash Gangwar. Officials said the fire eventually reached forest areas along the roadside, prompting authorities to alert the fire department. Fire tenders were subsequently deployed to prevent the flames from affecting vehicular movement and nearby habitations. "With the help of fire tenders, the roadside blaze was brought under control to ensure that traffic movement remained uninterrupted and to prevent any loss of life or property," the DFO added. The fire spreading close to residential areas triggered panic among local residents. Forest officials said the Patwadanger region is dominated by pine forests, making firefighting operations particularly difficult because of the presence of highly combustible pine needles, locally known as pirul. Officials said although forest personnel and fire department teams managed to contain the blaze across a large area, one forest grid continued to burn for several hours. "The forest department team remained engaged in firefighting operations throughout Monday night and Tuesday. Strong winds and the abundance of pine needles made the task especially challenging," said Akash Gangwar. He added that the blaze has now been fully brought under control, nearly 36 hours after it first erupted. However, forest teams continued to maintain vigilance on Tuesday to prevent any possible reignition from smouldering tree stumps. According to forest department data, 74 incidents of forest fires have been reported across the Kumaon region since the fire season began on February 15. The incidents have resulted in the destruction of large stretches of forest cover and the death of several wild animals. The state forest department has registered 90 cases against people for allegedly sparking forest fires since the fire season began on February 15, officials said on Monday. The state police has lodged 15 FIRs in such cases in the period. Garhwal forest division recorded the registration of 18 cases. In Muni-ki-Reti in Narendranagar forest division, the most FIRs- seven in total- were lodged. Officials said the state recorded 375 instances of forest fires which destroyed nearly 320 hectares of forest land. Badrinath, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh forest divisions together accounted for 139 cases reported....