Forest Fires

About Forest fires

Forest fire may be defined as an unclosed and freely spreading combustion that consumes the natural fuels (grass, tree, shrubs, leaves) based on environmental conditions (wind, topography).
Fuel, heat and oxygen are three important components for the formation of forest fires. They are commonly referred to as “Fire Triangle”

Causes of Forest fires

According to the UN Intergovernmental panel on climate change, rising global temperatures and drier conditions are leading to frequent, massive wildfires around the world.
Natural causes for forest fires include lightning, volcanic explosion, friction of rolling stone, etc.
Anthropogenic causes include, shifting cultivation, stubble burning, incineration of waste, for concealing illicit felling, etc.

Why in the news?

Forest Fires have reportedly gutted 108 hectares of forest surrounding Nainital in Uttarakhand. There have been 398 incidents of forest fires in Uttarakhand since November 2023.

Why is Uttarakhand an easy target for forest fire?

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 gather on the forest floor, which is highly susceptible to fire.
Studies have also shown that a sharp increase in average and maximum air temperature, decline in precipitation, and change in land-use patterns have caused increasing episodes of forest fires.

Measures to tackle forest fires

- Removal of biomass through controlled or prescribed burning to get rid of undergrowth, dead trees and litter
- Other preventive steps include engaging temporary fire watchers, desilting of water sources within the forest, etc

The government has also taken measures, including a satellite-based fire alert system introduced by the Forest Survey of India, which makes it easy for staff to find out whether there are fires inside the forest.

Sources

Today Current Affairs Upsc Exam Syllabus & Previous Yearpaper.