Fire which broke out in protected reserve near Ella fully contained

A fire that broke out near the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery in Kumbalwela, Bandarawela has been fully brought under control, the Disaster Management Centre confirmed.Badulla District Assistant Director of the DMC, E.M.L. Udayakumara, stated that the blaze, which had spread across the surrounding forest reserve last evening, was initially contained around midnight through a coordinated response involving the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Police and resident Buddhist monks at the monastery.However, officials said the situation remained unstable due to prevailing dry weather conditions, strong winds and the steep and rugged terrain of the area, which contributed to intermittent re-ignition of the fire from this morning (05), allowing it to spread further in certain sections of the hillside.Another operation was subsequently launched in the morning with intensified deployment of personnel and resources, which eventually succeeded in fully bringing the fire under control by midday.The DMC noted that an assessment of the total area affected and the extent of environmental damage has not yet been completed.