FOREST FIRES RAGE IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND NAGALAND

NEWS: Forest fires burn for nearly a week across Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Blazes reported in Lohit valley, Walong and Dzukou Valley regions

ABOUT

Forest fires in the North East: Surface fires that feed on dry leaf litter, grass, and forest debris. Unlike the crown fires seen in the West

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Arunachal Pradeshà recorded nearly 200 times more fire incidents in early 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
• The IAFà conducting water-bucketing missions at altitudes exceeding 9,500 feet
• North-East forest clusterà contributes nearly 36% of India’s total forest cover

Reasons for Forest Fires:

• Dry spells and a lack of winter rain
• Traditional slash-and-burn farming practice involves clearing land with fir
• Dry bamboo and pine needles act as highly inflammable fuel.
• Steep slopes and valley winds create a chimney effect, pushing flames rapidly uphill.

Initiatives

• Real-time satellite-based fire alerts via the SNPP-VIIRS system to local forest guardsà by Forest Survey of India (FSI)
• Financial aid under the Forest Fire Prevention and Management (FPM) scheme
• Mi-17 V5 helicoptersà with Bambi Buckets for precision water drops.

Challenges Associated

• Rugged Himalayan ridges
• High-altitude firefightingàlimited by thin air and smoke-induced low visibility.
• The last-mile delay between satellite detection and ground response
• Balancing traditional farming rights with forest conservation remains a sensitive policy challenge.

Way Ahead

• Use of drones for night-time monitoring and AI-based fire spread modeling
• Construct high-altitude static water tanks
• Promote the commercial collection of dry biomass (like pine needles)
• A North-East Fire Task Force for seamless resource sharing