RAGING FIRES

A fire destroyed more than 50 square kilometres of blue pine forests surrounding Damchu, about seven kilometres towards Chukha, in Bhutan.

Abetted by heavy winds, smoke that had wafted from the fire hung over the valley as far as Thimpu town, creating poor visibility.The blaze could not be put out quickly as "the difficult terrain and steep, rocky cliffs made firefighting an uphill task". Motorists were being warned of falling boulders along the area.