Forest Fire Data for Uttarakhand and Himachal – How Fires Are Tracked

Between 1 November 2025 and mid-October 2026, Uttarakhand’s Forest Department logged 657 forest fire incidents covering about 593 hectares. Two people died. (Source: Uttarakhand Forest Department daily fire report, read on 15 October 2026.)

Many of these fires are started by people, through burning of crop waste and dry undergrowth, a thrown bidi or cigarette, or a picnic fire left smouldering. Heat and dry weather then let them spread across the slopes, especially in pine forests.

Why hill forest fires matter to everyone

The forests of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh hold the soil on steep slopes and feed the springs and streams that villages and towns downstream depend on. When they burn, the damage does not stay in the hills.

Burnt slopes lose their cover, so the next heavy rain washes soil and silt into streams and can set off landslides. Smoke from big fire seasons spreads well beyond the hills.

How forest fires are tracked in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh

Sources: Forest Survey of India; Uttarakhand Forest Department; Himachal Pradesh Forest Department.

We could not find a matching year-by-year series for both States in these official sources, so we do not show one.

What forest fires damage

• Forest cover: young trees, saplings and undergrowth, especially in pine forests where dry needles pile up on the ground.
• Air: smoke can spread well beyond the hills.
• Soil and water: burnt slopes lose topsoil and wash silt into streams, which raises the risk of landslides.
• Wildlife: nests, young animals and slow-moving creatures are lost first.

What prevents forest fires

• Fire lines: cleared strips through the forest that stop a ground fire from spreading.
• Clearing pine needles: collecting dry needles from the forest floor removes the main fuel, and they can be used for briquettes or compost.
• Village fire watch: trained local volunteers who spot fires early and alert forest staff.
• Controlled burning: planned burning of dry litter by the forest department before the fire season, under supervision.
• Early warning: using FSI satellite alerts together with reports from villagers.
• Tourist awareness: no litter, no bonfires and no throwing away cigarettes or bidis in the forest.

What should change

• Treat forest fire management as a year-round job in the hill States, not only a summer emergency.
• Fund forest fire crews in hill States with proper tools, protective gear and drones for spotting fires.
• Provide insurance cover for forest workers and volunteers who fight fires.
• Link forest fire alerts with district and State disaster management control rooms.
• Support local enterprises that collect pine needles for fuel or briquettes.

What you can do

• Never throw a lit cigarette or bidi, or leave a cooking or picnic fire burning, in or near a forest.
• Do not burn crop waste or dry leaves near forest edges, especially in the dry months before the monsoon.
• If you see a forest fire in Uttarakhand, call the Forest Department’s toll-free helpline 1926. In Himachal Pradesh or anywhere else, inform the local forest office.
• Anywhere in India, call 112 if lives or homes are at risk.
• Do not try to fight a fire on a slope on your own. Fire moves uphill fast. Move away, downhill and across the slope, and warn others.

References

• Forest Survey of India, Forest Fire Alerts System (fsiforestfire.gov.in) and its reports list
• Uttarakhand Forest Department, daily fire report and toll-free helpline 1926
• Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, Fire Incident Reporting Engine (FIRE), daily forest fire report