Dehradun: Uttarakhand recorded 375 forest fire incidents between February 15 and May 24 this year, affecting 319.67 hectares of forest land. Chamoli was the worst-affected district with 133 incidents damaging 67.29 hectares.

Pauri Garhwal reported 42 incidents affecting 58.5 hectares, while Dehradun recorded 34 fires over 52.46 hectares. Tehri Garhwal and Rudraprayag also witnessed significant fire incidents during the period.

Chief Conservator of Forests and Nodal Officer (Forest Fire) Sushant Patnaik said the use of satellite-based monitoring and improved coordination has strengthened firefighting operations in the state.

To tackle forest fires, the forest department has operationalised 1,438 crew stations, 40 control rooms, and deployed 5,600 fire watchers across Uttarakhand.

Officials said dry pine needles, locally known as ‘pirul’, remain a major cause of forest fires. The department has increased its pirul collection target to 8,500 tonnes this year to reduce fire risks.

Himalayan Live Bureau

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