• UGI USER
  • Apr 28, 2024
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OVER 140 HECTARES GUTTED IN UTTARAKHAND FOREST FIRES

Why in the news?

Air Force deploys helicopter as flames threaten a base near Nainital due to forest fire in Nainital .

source:TH

Forest Fires in Uttarakhand :

  • Extent of Damage-Over 142 hectares of forest land gutted by massive fires sweeping through Uttarakhand’s mountainous terrain.
  • Reports of 23 fresh forest fires on Saturday, adding to the 31 fires reported on Friday and 54 on Thursday.
  • Response Efforts-Indian Air Force deploys Mi-17 V5 helicopter with ‘Bambi Bucket’ to douse flames near the Nanda range.
  • Indian Army deploys two columns for firefighting in Kumaon region.
  • Forest Department coordinating firefighting operations with assistance from multiple agencies.
  • Efforts to draw water from Bhimtal Lake for firefighting near the Air Force Station.
  • All available resources being mobilized to contain fires spreading around 10 km from Nainital city.
Why Forest fires ?

  • Forest fires are uncontrolled fires occurring in nature, accidental disasters which pose a challenge to forest ecosystems globally.
  • Three conditions must be present in order for any fire to exist: fuel, oxygen and a heat source. This is often referred to as the fire triangle.
  • As per a 2019 report from the Forest Research Institute, which comes under the Environment Ministry of India, 95% of forest fires are caused by humans.
  • Three types of forest fires may occur — ground fire, surface fire and crown fire.
  • There are four forest-fire clusters in India- the North-Western Himalayas, North-East India, Central Ghats, and Western and Eastern Ghats.
  • Fires in the North-Western Himalayas are attributed to the preponderance of pine trees and the accumulation of thick flammable litter. In the summer, there is a large quantity of pine needles that gathers on the forest floor, which is highly susceptible to fire.