Mangaluru: A rubber plantation of A.N. Balakrishna near Todikana in Sullia taluk caught fire on Sunday damaging palms on about two acres, sources said.

The palms were eight year old and ready for tapping the latex. It is not known how the fire caused and spread.

An electrical power line also passed through the plantation. Some suspected it could be due to the spark from the transformer or due to any other factor.

Vasanth Bhat Todikana, an agriculturist, said that such fires are on the rise in the taluk in the recent days.