Dehradun: Valley of Flowers wildfire largely controlled after six days
Forest officials in Dehradun announced on Wednesday that a wildfire burning for six days in the Valley of Flowers has been largely brought under control. The fire occurred within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Chamoli district. Only some isolated hotspots continue to smoulder at this time.
Fire confined to specific forest areas
Chamoli divisional forest officer Sarvesh Dubey provided details about the fire's location. He stated the blaze was confined to forest areas between the Lakshman Ganga and Alaknanda rivers. Dubey explained that an assessment of losses could not be completed through aerial survey methods. This is because the fire was a surface fire and not a crown fire.
"Prima facie, dry grass appears to have burnt due to a lack of snow and rainfall," Dubey said. He pointed to dry weather conditions as a key factor in the fire's spread.
Officials confirm fire is dying out
Chief conservator of forests Sushant Patnaik serves as the state nodal officer for forest fires. He observed during an aerial survey that the smoke appeared white in color. This indicates the fire was no longer active and was merely emanating from leftover residue.
"The fire reached high elevations near the ridge point, close to the fire line," Patnaik noted. "It is in a stage of containment and is dying out. After the recce, we did not find any reason to seek further assistance."
Precautionary measures and natural causes
Officials have deployed two frontline teams as a precautionary measure. These teams stand ready in case the fire reignites in the coming days. When questioned about the fire's origin, Patnaik suggested natural causes.
He said the fire appeared to be a natural forest fire triggered by dry weather conditions. Patnaik added that sparks from falling stones on the slopes may have also started the blaze. The official ruled out human involvement completely.
"The terrain is inaccessible, with steep gradients at around 14,000 ft," Patnaik explained. He emphasized the challenging landscape made human activity unlikely as a cause.
Broader forest fire alerts across India
The Forest Survey of India issued seven large fire alerts on Wednesday. Six of these alerts were for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. One alert was issued for Arunachal Pradesh.
Since the winter wildfire season began on November 1, Uttarakhand has received significant attention. The state has received 1,700 forest fire alerts from FSI during this period. Other states have also experienced numerous alerts.
Maharashtra follows with 1,048 alerts, Karnataka with 924 alerts, Madhya Pradesh with 868 alerts, and Chhattisgarh with 862 alerts. The Uttarakhand forest department has confirmed 40 fire incidents so far this season.
These confirmed incidents have affected approximately 19 hectares of forest land across the state. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely as dry conditions persist in many regions.
