Panic gripped Bhankharpur village near Zirakpur after a fire broke out in the wild growth along the embankment of the Ghaggar river, disrupting visibility and traffic on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway around 6 pm on Friday.Tall flames and thick smoke billowed from the wild growth on the Ghaggar riverbed amid dry weather and strong winds. The smoke was so dense that visibility on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway dropped drastically, resulting in slow-moving traffic.The ripple effect was also felt in the main markets of Zirakpur and Dera Bassi, where festive crowds added to the congestion, causing the situation to spiral out of control for some time.Dera Bassi Fire Officer Baljit Singh said no loss of life or property had been reported.Fire tenders and personnel had a tough time bringing the blaze under control, with the operation lasting more than two hours.In Bhankharpur, breathing became difficult due to the smoke. Owing to the vast area of the riverbed, fire personnel initially faced difficulty reaching the spot. However, they began spraying water from all sides and brought the fire under control within two hours.Traffic remained sluggish in Zirakpur till 9 pm, locals said.