Incidents of dry grass catching fire have been on the rise in various parts of Sattari taluka over the past few days, causing significant damage to cashew plantations.
In one such incident, a major fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at Saleli village in Honda Panchayat area, resulting in extensive damage to cashew orchards and causing heavy losses to cashew growers.
Cashew growers initially tried to extinguish the fire on their own, but due to the presence of dry grass and strong winds, the fire spread rapidly. As it became impossible to control the flames, they notified the Valpoi fire station.
A fire brigade successfully extinguished the fire, but despite their efforts, more than 200 cashew grafts were destroyed. They, however, managed to save a large amount of property by bringing the blaze under control.
Cashew growers stated that since the fire broke out in the afternoon, controlling it was extremely difficult. They claimed that dry grass in the plantation significantly contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, since the plantation is located along the roadside, growers have expressed the possibility of the fire being caused either intentionally by unidentified persons or due to an accidental incident.
Fire station sources informed that the exact assessment of losses is still underway, but preliminary estimates indicate damages running into several lakhs of rupees.
