KOTLI SATTIAN, PAKISTAN / MENA Newswire / — A major forest fire has destroyed more than 3,000 hectares of natural forest tree cover in Kotli Sattian, an ecologically sensitive region of Punjab, after flames spread across multiple locations during a period of intense heat and dry conditions. Satellite data released by SUPARCO through Space4Climate placed the burned area at an estimated 3,037.1 hectares, equal to about 7,504.7 acres, across 25 locations, making it one of the most significant recent wildfire events reported in the area.
The affected zone includes Chir pine forests that form part of the Murree and Kotli Sattian landscape, a hilly forest belt linked to sub-watersheds feeding the Indus and Jhelum river systems. Analysis comparing satellite imagery from May 9 to May 29 showed extensive burn scars across forested slopes. The fire damaged tree cover, undergrowth and young regeneration in areas where pine needles, shrubs and dry vegetation created combustible ground conditions during the heatwave.
Local response teams, residents and forest personnel worked to contain the flames as strong winds pushed the fire through steep terrain. The Punjab Forest Department reported a series of fire incidents in the Murree and Rawalpindi forest divisions between May 26 and May 29, including areas connected to Kotli Sattian. Officials said multiple fires during that period were brought under control through coordinated field operations, with firefighting teams deployed across affected forest and private land.
Satellite data shows extensive burn scars
The Kotli Sattian fire added to a wider pattern of forest fire incidents recorded in northern Punjab during the recent heatwave. Authorities said more than 20 fires were reported in the Murree and Rawalpindi forest divisions over four days, with damage recorded in several localities, including Peja, Baroota Kahuta, Java Malkiyat, Kamkot and Kotli Sattian. The incidents occurred as very high temperatures and dry weather increased fire risk across forested and semi-forested areas.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination said forest fires can affect wildlife breeding, seedling regeneration and natural recovery in burned landscapes. In Kotli Sattian, the reported damage covered pine forest areas that support local biodiversity and help stabilize slopes. Environmental assessments identified risks to saplings, ground vegetation and habitats used by birds and animals during the breeding season, while also noting the potential spread of fire-tolerant grasses and shrubs in burned sites.
Heatwave conditions strain firefighting response
Field accounts described difficult conditions for crews working in rugged terrain, where flames moved through dry pine needles, shrubs and forest litter. Firefighters and local residents used available resources to stop the spread near homes and forest edges, while wind and heat complicated containment efforts. Reports from the affected area noted limited equipment and manpower for frontline forest staff, underscoring the operational challenges of responding to fast-moving fires in steep pine forests.
No confirmed casualties were reported in the available official accounts of the Kotli Sattian fire. The confirmed damage remains centered on forest tree cover and associated ecological loss across the burned locations. Authorities have not announced a final official cause for the main blaze. The satellite-based assessment provides the clearest confirmed measure of the damage, identifying more than 3,000 hectares of burned forest cover in one of Punjab’s most environmentally significant hill regions.