Fire: A forest fire that began around 2:30pm near the Semtokha dzong in Thimphu yesterday destroyed about an acre of land before it was completely contained.

Forest officials, police, dessups who were on their way to Wangduephodrang for a forest fire awareness programme and students from the Royal Institute of Management managed to contain the fire within an hour.

Chief Forestry Officer with the Thimphu Forest Division, Phento Tshering said the fire is suspected to have started from a cigarette butt. He said since the origin of the fire started from the bushes near the highway, people smoking nearby the roadside might have left the cigarette burning.

This is the first reported forest fire in the capital in 2014-15 winter.