Disaster: The Tsirang dratshang on March 27 sought divine intervention to help combat the forest fire that has raged for the past five days.

Tsirang dratshang’s Lam Neten Wangdi said that they held a daylong prayer ceremony to appease the rain gods that blessed them with heavy showers that day to put off the fire that has been destroying acres of forest resources.

“We’re happy that our prayers were answered and the fire was doused within a few span of time,” Lam Wangdi said.

Sergithang gup Dhanapati Sanyasi said people of Sergithang were equally delighted.  The gup said they were grateful to the desuups, forest, and dzongkhag officials, who sacrificed their time in saving Norbugang village that was at high risk of fire.

Senior forest officer, DB Chhetri said that the fire damaged about 21,000 acres of forest.

The fire that started in Taksha, Wangdue spread south to Tsirang on March 21.  Commuters plying through the Wangdue-Tsirang highway were also cautioned to watch out for rolling stones after crossing Taksha in Wangdue.

DB Chhetri said it was risky for vehicles to ply on the road, as boulders rolled down the slope, and that a few light vehicles even suffered damage from rolling boulders.

By Yeshey Dema, Tsirang