Wildfires

Syllabus- Environment [GS Paper-3]

18/08/2025

166 2 minutes read

Image Credit: THE ECONOMIST

Wildfires in Albania, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey have killed people and forced thousands to flee the impacted areas.

- A wildfire is an out-of-control fire in forests, grasslands, brushlands, or tundra that is carried by the wind and terrain and feeds on fuel, oxygen, and heat.

- Surface Fire: Burns on the surface, consuming dry leaves, twigs, and grasses on the forest floor.
- Zombie Fire/Underground Fire: Low-intensity fires that burn organic material underground, spread slowly, are frequently unnoticed, and can last for months.
- Crown/Canopy Fire: Typically powerful and difficult to put out, it travels via the top tree canopy.
- Controlled Deliberate Fire: Forest agencies conduct planned burns to lower fuel loads and promote ecosystem health.

Due to the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, and dry winds (such as the Sirocco, a hot wind that blows from the Sahara Desert to southern Europe and raises the risk of wildfires), Mediterranean climate zones are particularly vulnerable to wildfires, especially during the hot, dry summer months.
Climate change: Droughts, unpredictable monsoons, unseasonal heat waves, and El Niño events dry out vegetation and make it more flammable.
Human-Induced Causes: Tourism, waste mismanagement, infrastructure projects, agricultural expansion, and slash-and-burn all contribute to both intentional and unintentional fires.
Weak Fire Management and Technology: Insufficient monitoring, outmoded response systems, absence of AI-based prediction, and ineffective weather-based forecasting delay control activities.
Loss of Biodiversity and Flammable Vegetation: Dry deciduous forests, pine needles, bamboo groves, and monoculture plantations all serve as natural fuel, which lowers the diversity of native species.
Deforestation and Habitat Fragmentation: Forests are degraded, human-wildlife conflict is increased, and ecosystems are harmed by infrastructure, mining, unchecked grazing, and inadequate policy enforcement.

Climate change and air pollution: Wildfires emit methane, CO2, PM2.5, and other harmful chemicals, which worsen air quality and contribute to global warming.
Biodiversity & Habitat Loss: Forest devastation harms wildlife, endangers endangered species, and disrupts ecosystems.
Human Health Risk: Smoke inhalation can cause heat-related injuries, eye irritation, respiratory issues, and psychological stress in at-risk communities.
Water and Soil Degradation: Erosion and ash runoff contaminate water supplies, endangering aquatic life and drinking water.

According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, it was estimated that over 36% of the nation’s forests were vulnerable to regular forest fires. 2.81% of the country’s forest cover was determined to be highly fire-prone, and 7.85% of the country’s forest cover was found to be extremely fire-prone.
Mountain areas have seen a dramatic increase in forest fire occurrences, with Uttarakhand experiencing a 293% increase, Jammu & Kashmir a 2,822% increase, and Himachal Pradesh a 1,339% increase (ISFR 2023).

Integrated fire management: Employ prescribed burning, fuel load reduction, firebreaks, stringent fire safety standards, and public awareness to help prevent uncontrolled fires.
Community and tribal participation: Engage tribal organizations, Van Panchayats, and local communities in training, livelihood incentives, and traditional conservation for early detection and response.
Early Warning and Advanced Technology: Use real-time alerts, drones, satellite monitoring, and AI predictive models to ensure quick containment.
Ecosystem Restoration and Resilience: Promote sustainable agroforestry, wetland restoration, climate-resilient forestry, green firebreaks, and fire-resistant species.
Eco-Sensitive Development & Policy Enforcement: Use watershed management, sustainable tourism, and blockchain for transparent conservation financing, as well as enforcing no-go zones for mining and infrastructure.

Source: The Hindu