Tamil Nadu forest fire guts rare medicinal herbs

A forest fire in Jawadhu Hills in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district destroyed rare medicinal herbs and trees spread over 2.4 hectares on Sunday and Monday. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. Hot weather and wind fed the fire, which spread fast, burning herbs, shrubs and trees and killing a few birds and animals. Several teams from the forest department and fire and rescue services department fought hard to extinguish the fire, which is now contained.