67% of major forest fires in 2023-24 doused within 24 hours, shows data

In the November 2023-June 2024 forest fire season, 67 per cent of major fires in India were extinguished within 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This marks an improvement from 33 per cent in the previous season, attributed to faster information dissemination and improved coordination among response teams.

 

In the 2023-24 forest fire season, the total number of fires detected by the Forest Survey of India was 2,03,544, while in the previous 2022-23 season the number stood at 2,12,249. 

 

Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh recorded the highest forest fire incidents with 21,033, 20,973, and 18,950 fires, respectively. Delhi and Goa reported the lowest figures at 16 and 36, respectively. Among Union Territories, Lakshadweep and Puducherry reported no forest fires, while Jammu & Kashmir recorded the highest with 3,829 incidents.

 

Between 2022-23 and 2023-24 forest fire seasons, there have been notable changes in fire incidents across key states. Uttarakhand witnessed a staggering increase, with fire incidents rising by over 292 per cent from 5,351 to 21,033. Odisha saw a marginal decline, with incidents decreasing by approximately 37.3 per cent, from 33,461 to 20,973.

 

Seasonal forest fires occur every year due to various natural and anthropogenic reasons, including accumulations of inflammable materials such as dry leaves, twigs, pine needles, etc.

 

Most of the forest fires in the country are ground fires in which ground vegetation, etc. are burnt. The number of incidences of forest fire in the country varies from year to year, depending on the vulnerability of the forests to various forest fire risk factors, according to the MoEFCC.