Wild fires are not uncommon in forest areas during the dry season.  However, with the increase need for fresh vegetation to thrive among other reasons, this is a common occurrence in remote areas in India, especially in the areas surrounding the mountainous terrains.    According to a report from Smithsonian, humans cause 84% of the forest fires.  That leaves only a small percentage due to other reasons including the natural causes such as lightning, etc.    

- Manmade Causes of Wildfires

Humans are the main reason behind the forest fires. Most of wildfires are caused due to careless disposal of burnt cigarettes, unattended campfires as well as arson due to political motives.  General causes of wild fires are identified below.

Burning of Debris: In India in particular, burning of debris including plastic wastes is very common.    While there are laws prohibit such an act, the enforcement mechanisms are quite weak and in many instances things go out of hand and large scale destruction of crops and rare tree species.  Coupled with winds, the spread of fires are quick and uncontrollable. 

Unattended Campfires: Camping and trekking are quite common in various parts of India in general.   This is enjoyed through all ages, however, unattended campfires do cause wildfires. Generally the safety recommendations are ignored and rarely in campfires in remote places measures including fire extinguishers are in place.    

Equipment Sparks: People do take their vehicle to the base of a mountain range and camp there.  There is presence of machinery at the base camp including diesel-powered generators.  These generators while in running condition can spew hot sparks when things go horribly wrong. Adding to the above is the way the wastes are disposed around the camp.  Any spark could light up the entire camp and the surrounding areas, especially during the dry season

Cigarettes: These are another cause of wildfires. As the half burnt cigarettes are thrown in bins or outside in public areas, there is a risk of initiating fires due to the negligence of people.  

Fireworks: During festive seasons, fireworks are common across India.  Both urban and rural areas witness celebrations.  Fireworks are deployed during this and are not monitored with safety instructions.  There are several instances of fireworks initiating huge fires in cities as well as rural farm areas.  

Arson: This indeed is yet another major reason for fires in forests.  The motivation for this could be political in nature as there are sudden fires in the mountain ranges that could be witnessed during dry seasons. In India, arson accounts for 40% of all wildfire cases

-  Mother Nature is responsible for other 15% of wildfires in India.

Lightening: Lightning could start off fires in forests when the season is dry. 

Volcanic Eruption: As the molten lava flows, this could trigger wild fires.  

As the causes for wildfires are several, the main reason for wild fires is attributed to human acts.  While the lawmakers have identified control mechanisms, it is also important to note that these mechanisms have failed in a big way.  The wild fires are consuming rare plants and animals, which if allowed to continue would lead to permanent disappearance of our ecosystem.

Image credit : defense.gov (representative image)