Forests in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been catching fires: Here’s why 

You might have come across headlines announcing the early, raging onset of heat wave in India on your TV and phone screens. Definitely not a pleasant sight to watch, right? Well, the aftermath of climate change is gradually reflecting its pervasiveness on our flora and fauna too. Several hectares of green cover in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have been charred by forest fires.  

Forest fires in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand: The current scenario 
Although the forest fire season starts from April 1 to June 30 every year, a considerable number of such fires has been reported this year within the first month itself. According to media reports, in April alone, Himachal Pradesh witnessed around 750 forest fires, while Uttarakhand reported over twice as many as those! These have caused considerable loss of crops as well. On April 30, Uttarakhand experienced the maximum incidents of forest fires on a single day. If media reports are to be believed, the number is at 51. On the other hand, 76 youngsters in Shimla's Balika Ashram, a child protection society under Himachal Pradesh government, had to be rushed to safety after a nearby forest caught fire on May 1. Meanwhile, the Kasauli Air Force Station fought to put out a fire that flared up on last Sunday afternoon. 

Culprits behind these forest fires 
Factors like temperature, precipitation, vegetation, and moisture play a role in the size and frequency of these fires. The unprecedented hot and dry weather has further added to these jungles getting burnt up like anything. According to experts, the majority of forest fires is caused by changes in agriculture and unregulated land-use patterns. But how is that possible? Well, forest fires are frequently caused by a number of small trees that choke forests and form fire ladders (low branches that stretch from the ground into the canopy of the tree) into the crowns of the large trees. These fire ladders enable a low-burning fire to climb vertically from the ground into a tree canopy. As a result of the various tree densities and the dead, dry brush left behind, crown fires can spread throughout the forest terrain in a highly damaging manner.  

Due to the abundant availability of dry biomass which was not burnt in time and the ongoing summer season, more fire occurrences have been reported in March, April, and May. Dry biomass is a dry form of renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. A study named ‘Managing Forest Fires In A Changing Climate’ released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a Delhi-based policy research institute and think tank, also revealed that there has been a 10X increase in forest fire incidences in the last two decades.  

How are forest fires classified? 
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, vegetation fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled burning of plants that starts in rural and urban areas. It could spread due to environmental conditions such as high temperatures and low humidity. 

Forest fires are classified into three types: ground fires, surface fires, and crown fires. Ground fires are ones that burn organic material in the soil. These fires spread slowly. On the other hand, surface fires are mostly generated by the combustion of dry leaves, branches, and other materials on the ground. Fires of this type spread quickly, as seen in Himachal and Uttarakhand. Crown fires spread swiftly from one tree top to the next and have massive flames with high heat. Such flames are uncommon in India.