Forest fire
Also called: Wildfire, Forest fires in India · Topic: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management in India · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Climates of India"
Meaning
A forest fire, or wildfire, is a fire that spreads out of control through forests and grasslands. Most forest fires are started by people, for example by careless burning. Dry weather and wind then help them spread. In India the fire season runs from February to June. The worst fires are in dry deciduous forests (forests whose trees shed their leaves in the dry season) and in chir-pine forests. The fires destroy trees, wildlife and soil cover, and they fill the air with smoke. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) uses satellites to send fire alerts. India has had a National Action Plan on Forest Fires since 2018.
Example
The chir-pine forests of Uttarakhand catch fire almost every summer. The fallen, dry pine needles burn easily. Fires are also common in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, the Western Ghats and the northeast.
Don't confuse with
- Jhum (shifting cultivation): in jhum, farmers clear a forest patch on purpose by burning it, then farm it. A forest fire is a fire that nobody is controlling. Jhum burning can, however, escape and start one.