According to police, the fire is suspected to have been deliberately set by an unidentified group. The affected reserve is located along the Hatton–Nuwara Eliya main road, raising concerns about safety and environmental damage in the area.
The blaze reportedly started around 7:00 p.m. and continued to spread until the early hours of today (April 2). Residents claim that no immediate efforts were made to control or extinguish the fire, allowing it to expand rapidly across the reserve.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, while concerns grow over the increasing number of such suspected arson դեպքերը impacting natural reserves in the region.
