Nearly 50 acres of forest has been burnt down due to a forest fire that broke out in Hikkagala, Maduru Oya last night (26) which at present continues to spread intensely further into the forest, the police said.
The Sri Lanka Air Force has deployed a Bell 212 helicopter equipped with a Bambi Bucket to extinguish the fast spreading fire.
Since last night Army and Navy personnel and the Disaster Management Centre officers were working together to douse the fire.