Local authorities of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have launched a probe to find out the reason behind the fire that engulfed considerable portion of the famous Devgiri fort in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra, an official said on Wednesday.
According to news agency PTI, the Devgiri fort, also known as Daulatabad fort, sees a high tourist footfall. Located around 16 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, it was once the capital for the Yadava Dynasty in the ninth to 14th century.
“The fire broke out around 10 am on Tuesday and spread to all sides of the fort. The blaze engulfed the grass and the green cover on the fort premises. We have launched an investigation to find out what triggered the fire. We are also going to check this historical monument from the disaster management point of view,” the official quoted above said.
“The disaster management plan for the fort will be chalked out later. We are also planning to dig some channels so that we get some time to control the fire if such incidents happen in future again,” the official said.
After the blaze, local fire brigade personnel were alerted, but they could not reach the affected area as it was at a considerable height, PTI reported. They tried to extinguish the flames by spraying water from some distance. The blaze finally subsided in the evening, but the embers continued to simmer through the night.
The destructive fire affected the wild animals, including monkeys, in the area. The morning after the fire, monkeys and peacocks returned to the fort. They were seen sifting through the ashes to find food, like fruits, near the Kalakot area of the fort. Peacocks were spotted on the plains of the fort behind the area where Mendha cannon is placed, PTI reported. This area was earlier covered with shrubs and short trees where the peacocks rested. However, the blaze burnt these trees completely.
The fire also affected the Baradari area located on the topmost portion of the fort. As part of the cooling operation, a group of labourers fetched water from the Moti tank located behind the Baradari and put on the embers.
(With PTI inputs)