The Himachal government has set up a high level committee beaded by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr O P Sharma, to go into the causes of forest fires and suggest ways to control these. Himachal Forest Minister, Thakur Rup Singh said at Mandi today that forest fires, of late had assumed alarming proportions. Over 26000 hectares of forest land had been engulfed by the forest fire this summer causing widespread damage particularly to new plantations.