Dehradun: Forest fires are no longer just a problem of burning trees. Across the world, they are now seen as a major environmental crisis affecting human health, climate change, and ecological balance. The devastating fires in the United States, Australia, and Canada have shown that the damage goes far beyond forests. They impact air, water, soil, and human life for years.

Uttarakhand is facing a similar challenge. Every year, between March and June, the state experiences a forest fire season that reduces vast areas to ashes. But this year, the worrying news is that fires have started much earlier—during winter itself. Reports of fires in January have shocked experts and residents alike.

Professor S.P. Sati, a geologist at Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Uttarakhand University, explained that the main reason is the lack of rainfall and snowfall this season. Mountain peaks that are usually covered with snow are bare. In Garhwal and other regions, snowfall has been minimal, leaving behind dry leaves, grass, and bushes. This biomass has become highly flammable, turning forests into tinderboxes.

Normally, forest fires in Uttarakhand occur in summer when temperatures rise. But this year, the prolonged dry spell and unusually high temperatures have........

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