A massive fire erupted in a forested area at Menamkulam near Kazhakuttom on Thursday afternoon. The fire started around 1:30 p.m. on government land controlled by the Industries Department, near key sites like the Women’s Battalion and Bharat Petroleum’s LPG plant. Nearly 20 fire units, including teams from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, rushed to fight the flames. It took firefighters around three hours to control the fire. Officials said the fire began deep inside an overgrown forest area that has been unattended for years. Dry weather, strong winds, and high temperatures helped the fire spread quickly. The cause of the fire remains unknown. Thick smoke covered nearby areas, making it hard for residents to breathe. For safety, the Women’s Battalion staff were evacuated. Although no houses are very close, nearby residential zones raised safety worries. Firefighters focused on keeping the fire within a limited area and made firebreaks to protect homes and industries. Locals blamed poor maintenance of the land, which once held the National Games Village built in 2015, for the fire risk. They said scrap and debris lie unused there. Meanwhile, a big fire broke out in Kovalam, burning around 20 acres of land. People living in two houses were evacuated as firefighters worked hard to extinguish the blaze. In a separate incident, a minor fire occurred at the Legislators Hostel in a room on the second floor of the Periyar Block. Officials suspect a short circuit near a computer started the fire. Hostel staff managed to control the flames before firefighters arrived. There were no injuries reported in any of the incidents.