COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Airforce on Monday dispatched a Bell 212 helicopter to douse a massive forest fire which broke out in the Maragala Mountain area in Moneragala, in the Uva Province over the weekend, local media reports said.
Till Monday noon, over 500 acres (an estimated 2.023 square km) of forest area was burnt to ashes and hundreds of fire fighters were deployed to douse the flames.
Fire fighters said the fire may have erupted due to the excessive dry weather prevailing across the island country.
Villagers in the surrounding areas had been evacuated by special rescue teams and the entire area had been cordoned off.
Sri Lanka's Meteorology Department, in its latest weather update, issued an "Extreme Heat Caution" advisory for several areas of the island as temperatures were likely to soar as high as 40 degrees Celsius.
The department urged people to avoid going outdoors and remain hydrated.
