2024 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record. While it has meant sweltering days for most of us, away from the cities this has translated into more dangerous side effects — especially an uptick in wildfires. With temperatures set to increase even more in the coming years due to the accelerating effects of climate change, experts and conservationists argue that better forest management practices are the need of the hour to limit the effects of fire on native forests.
To date, however, the majority of fires globally have been caused by human carelessness. Be it smoking near vegetation or, as a Tamil Nadu forest department official states, “caused by farmers and herders trying to clear portions of land to facilitate the growth of green fodder, and to remove weeds and improve agricultural yields”. And once the spark is lit, it spreads quickly as ground fire (fuelled by undergrowth and bushes) and crown fire (which spreads from tree top to tree top).
Also read: As fires burn down Uttarakhand forests, pending petitions find mention in Supreme Court
“Every year, come February, we prepare fire lines along the boundary of our estate. We clear 10 feet wide tracts of land of all the leaves, foliage and weeds, so they can act as fire breaker,” says Ajoy Thipaiah, the proprietor of Kerehaklu Estate in Chikmagalur, Karnataka. While it helps, it’s not always 100% foolproof. “It’s hard to gauge how quickly wildfires can move because they create localised wind turbulence, as hot and cold air currents mix. This then fans the flames forward.”
As we enter peak fire season, the Magazine investigates what’s happening on-ground across the country.
The Nilgiris on high alert | Praying for rain in Uttarakhand | Exploding bamboo in Karnataka | Kodaikanal’s big blaze
