Uttarakhand recorded 375 forest fires in past three months; Chamoli worst hit

Dehradun ( Vivek Ojha) : Uttarakhand has recorded 375 forest fire incidents between February 15 and May 24 this year, affecting a total area of 319.67 hectares, officials said on Tuesday (May 26, 2026). The annual forest fire season is said to start from February 15.

According to official data, Chamoli remained the worst-affected region, accounting for 133 fire incidents this season that damaged 67.29 hectares.

Reasons of Forest fire in Uttrakhand:

The state has over 45 per cent forest cover, and these fires occur annually between November and May, driven by the accumulation of dry leaves, twigs, and pine needles. Uttarakhand’s forests are dominated by the chir pine, whose resin-rich needles accumulate in vast quantities on the forest floor.

According to the International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, about four lakh tonnes of these pine needles and twigs fall annually, sharply raising the inflammability of the forest floor during the summer heat.

Locals deliberately set fire to these pine needle beds to revitalise grazing land, encourage fresh grass growth, and to stimulate the growth of an edible fungus that fetches high prices in local markets.

The fires are being fed by a broader climate reality, which is that India’s mountains are no longer the cool retreat they once were. IMD says temperatures have risen sharply across Himachal Pradesh, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and the higher reaches of Uttarakhand.