A fire broke out on the hills of the popular Jivdani temple in Virar (East) on Friday night. No casualties were reported.
The fire that erupted on the hill, that forms part of the Satpura Range, had spread around the under-construction funicular rail track, located around 1,500 feet above sea level, within three minutes.
Eye-witnesses and motorists using the highway at Vasai and Virar said that the flames were noticed from a distance.
It soon spread around the temple area.
Also, sporadic fires are being reported from the jungles that run alongside the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway at Vasai and Virar.
While environmental experts call it man-made blazes to clear vegetation, forest officials have still not found out what has caused the jungle fires.
The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) fire brigade is not equipped to handle jungle fires.
Surjitt Sahani
