Fire erupts at multiple spots in Islamabad Margalla hills

ISLAMABAD: A wildfire flared up in two separate spots along the scenic Margalla Hills on Sunday afternoon, and it pushed thick smoke plumes up into the sky.

People reported that it was visible from quite a few areas across Islamabad, almost like a dull curtain. As per the first reports, the fire took off in the Manghial sector of the Margalla Hills and then spread fast, mainly because of extreme heat, dry weather, and also strong winds.

Officials noted that the rugged ground there makes reaching the area very hard, so emergency teams are dealing with quite a few issues along the way, more than usual.

CDA fire brigade officials and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, at the time of the report, had not yet arrived at the exact point of the blaze.

That delayed response raised worries about the flames jumping into nearby forest pockets and other green belts. Residents from adjacent sectors said they kept seeing dense smoke lifting from the hills, while some environmental experts warned that the ongoing heatwave could make things even worse, not just slowly, but quickly too.

The situation looks serious because flames are visible during the day from miles away. Pakistan has seen more forest and bushfire cases in the past few years, especially in summer when temperatures climb up, and vegetation turns extremely dry.

The Margalla Hills, which sit within the Himalayan foothills and are part of a protected national park zone, often face wildfire threats during long dry stretches.

Earlier in the year, multiple fires were reported in this same region, so authorities began reviewing how ready firefighting teams are, and how strong emergency response measures should be for whatever comes next.