A forest fire which erupted this morning in the Panangala area in Ettampitiya was doused by Disaster Assistance Response Team of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
A group of Air Force officers assigned to the Sri Lanka Air Force Combat Training School in Diyatalawa and the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) was deployed to douse the fire.
It is reported that several acres of the reserve was destroyed in the raging flames. Residents say the prevailing drought conditions may have contributed to the fire allowing it to spread rapidly over a large area.