India, June 21 -- A major forest fire broke out in the Salal forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Saturday, prompting an urgent response from forest officials and emergency services.

The blaze spread rapidly through the hilly terrain due to dry vegetation and weather conditions, raising concerns about damage to forest cover and wildlife in the region. Firefighting teams were immediately deployed to the affected area and efforts are ongoing to contain the flames.

According to officials, the fire erupted in the forested hills near the Salal Dam area and quickly expanded across parts of the forest.

The difficult terrain has made firefighting operations challenging, forcing personnel to rely heavily on manual efforts and lo...