The forestry department on Saturday said burning piles of grass was the cause of a forest fire in Mitsero that was put under control around noon.

Four firefighters responded to the blaze with one fire engine around 11.30am.

“Thanks to the immediate intervention of the fire brigade of the Forest Department, the fire was brought under full control before it spread,” the announcement said.

The fire started as a resident was burning green waste at a specific community in Mitsero.

“When a forest fire spreads it is difficult to deal with. On the contrary, it is easy to extinguish in the initial stages, even with the minimum equipment,” the forestry department said in a recent announcement.

The forestry department operates a forest fire detection system, including observatories, capable of locating and reporting each outbreak of fire in a short time, “thus enabling rapid intervention and timely extinction in its early stages”.