A forest fire is an uncontrolled fire occurring in nature. As per Forest Survey of India, around 50% of the forest areas as fire prone.
Most forest fires occur in India due to anthropogenic activity:
Anthropogenic causes:
- Before monsoon small patches set to fire so that fresh grass grows for grazing
- Commercial interests – As has happened in 90s mysterious timber Mafia have sparked it – profit from selling wood, clearing land for real estate.
- Shifting cultivation – clearing lands for agriculture purpose
Natural causes:
- High atmospheric temperatures and dryness caused due to low humidity(lack of rains, El Nino)
- Lightening due to thunderstorms
- In dry windy and summer seasons, rubbing together of leaves
Accidental causes:
- Careless throwing of bidi stubs, cigarettes
- Ignition of fire to collect non-timber products
- Unattended Camp fires during winters
Wild fires cause adverse ecological, economic and social effects:
Ecological:
- Climate change: Due to production of large amount of trace gases and aerosols
- Vegetation: Fires disrupts the ecological succession
- Loss of Biodiversity
Economic:
- Huge air pollution causes health problems
- Loss of traditional income from timber as well as Minor forest produces
Social:
- Displacements of families who depend on forest for livelihood
Management of forest fires – way forward:
- Modern fire-fighting techniques like the Early Forest Fire Detection Using Radio-Acoustic Sounding System, Doppler radar, etc can also be used.
- Special trainings to National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force in combating fire disasters.
- National action plan for forest fires
- Coordination among various agencies like forest department, NDRF, state government, and Environment ministry to put off the fire at early stage itself.
- Learn from international best practices of counter firing technique used in Yellow stone park, USA
- Introduction of Modern Forest Fire control Project assisted by UNDP.
Thus, Management of wild fires focuses on mitigation, response as well as preparedness and prevention, leveraging on Sendai framework on Disaster risk reduction – recognition of community members as first responders in disaster management process would help tackle the forest fires with minimal damage to ecology.
