With the onset of spring, forests become increasingly vulnerable to fire. Whether sparked by human action or natural causes, forest fires are fast emerging as a serious challenge, disrupting the region’s delicate ecological balance and outpacing manual containment efforts, writes Syed Shadab Ali Gillani
Serene and silent, the Hutmurah forest range in south Kashmir presented an exotic collection of greenery. Home to a huge basket of flora and fauna, the range, once bustling with beauty, is buried under its burden of charred assets.
It all began when a fire was reported in the range. The blaze blurred the vision, and smoke enveloped the surroundings for three days. The desperate attempts from nearby villagers to douse the flames did not help. The fire continued its fury till the fourth day, when the skies relented, clouds gathered, and raindrops began to fall. A steady, relentless downpour doused the flames
The Rise
According to available reports, forest fires in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state led to a substantial loss in tree cover from 2001 to 2023.
An alarming situation, the forest fires in Jammu and Kashmir have been making more news in the recent past. The reports suggest that in 2022-23, a total of 1,553 wildfire incidents were reported involving 2,774.21 hectares, while in 2023-24, the number declined to 607 incidents involving 987.24 hectares.
More recently, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed at least 1,243 forest fire incidents in 2024-25, affecting an area of 3,503.7 hectares.
During the current year, the trend continued. In the first week alone, 127 fire incidents affected 174 hectares.
As tabled in the recently concluded assembly session, 15 districts of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed 94 forest fire incidents between March 24 and April 3, 35 in a single day.
Fire-Prone Zones Expanding
The Forest Survey of India’s 2023 report classified 270.11 square kilometres of Jammu and Kashmir’s forests as “very highly fire-prone,” with a further 890.62 square kilometres marked as “highly fire-prone” and 1,244.13 square kilometres as “moderately fire-prone.” The remaining 19,203.80 sq km were considered less vulnerable.
Data from Global Forest Watch (GFW) highlighted the growing concern.
In the last four years, from April 2021 to April 2025, 5,227 fire alerts were recorded, with 1.1 per cent flagged as high-confidence events. In seven days from April 5 and April 12, 2025, 90 fire alerts were issued across the region.
As data reveals, in Jammu and Kashmir, 952 hectares were lost to fire, while 3,230 hectares were lost due to land-use changes such as urban expansion and deforestation between 2001 and 2023.
However, as of March 19, 2025, 1,243 fire incidents have already occurred this fiscal year, damaging 3,503.70 hectares of forest area.
In Rajouri district alone, 8 hectares of forest cover were lost annually to fire
Besides fire, the emissions from forest degradation continued to rise. Between 2001 and 2023, estimated annual emissions reached 86.2 kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalent. During the same period, carbon removal declined to -4.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year, resulting in a net carbon absorption of -4.42 MtCO₂e annually.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, an activist who is keen about environmental issues, expressed concern over the increasing frequency of forest fire incidents. He observed that the recent spike in fires during March and April represented a departure from past occurrences. Earlier, it was autumn or early winter due to dry conditions and routinely attributed to charcoal-making. However, that pattern had changed. Picnickers and young people were now being linked to these incidents, including those who lit campfires, cooked, or left behind burning materials, he noted.
Most of these fires had remained surface-level, consuming grass and undergrowth—a point the Forest Minister also acknowledged in the Assembly in response to a related question.
Readiness and Response
A state-level forest fire monitoring committee had been established to track and review mitigation efforts, the concerned minister informed the assembly. The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Policy of 2011 included provisions for ecological restoration, and the Forest Department had formulated a 20-year State Action Plan on Forest Fires (SAPFF).
Dr Bhat emphasised the need to prioritise forest fire mitigation and recommended increasing the Forest Department’s budget to procure equipment such as advanced drones, otherwise, he believes that incidents would surge.
In response to the recent surge, the Conservator of Forests for the Srinagar Circle, Tawheed Ahmad Deva, convened a meeting with concerned officers to discuss preventive measures and strategies, including public awareness campaigns, enhanced surveillance, and early detection protocols.
Dr Bhat also noted that the frequency of forest fires had been rising globally, including in colder regions. During a visit to Pir Panjal, Tatakoti, and the Doodh Ganga glacier areas, he observed layers of black carbon on the snow, which, he said, contributed to climate change and posed public health risks.
Besides, he identified improper waste disposal, especially of plastic, as a contributing factor. Individuals sometimes set fire to plastic waste as a means of disposal, inadvertently triggering forest fires.
According to Dr Bhat, improved technology, such as drones, ought to be deployed for forest fire monitoring and management. At present, forest officials rely on basic tools such as mud and sand to extinguish fires—an approach he described as insufficient, given the vast forest areas and limited manpower, usually comprising only 10 to 15 staff members per forest block of 50 to 60 square kilometres.
Containing the Flames
According to Irfan Ali Shah, IFS, Conservator of Forests for the Kashmir North Circle, the number of forest fires in that region had been significantly lower than in other parts of Kashmir. He stated that approximately twenty fire incidents had occurred in recent times.
“Alhamdulillah, God has been very kind. We did not witness much damage. The damage was very minimal, and most of these fires were bushfires. Only a few trees were damaged. But no wildlife, no flora, and no fauna were affected or damaged,” he said.
He added that the forest fires were primarily caused by climatic factors. However, “there were a few incidents of human-made fires, and some notorious elements had caused fire. But our team, in collaboration with the locals, were able to contain the fire,” he noted.
In some cases, Shah explained, forest fires played an important ecological role. “It is part of the natural cycle and very important for the elimination of some elements that can prove harmful for human consumption.”
“In some places, we saw even women participating in dousing the flames. In other areas, they brought food and water for us. There was no damage to life anywhere. However, a few of our men were injured, and now they are recovering well. We will continue more awareness programmes and campaigns,” he said.
Tree Cover Loss and Recovery
In 2023, the region recorded a loss of 112 hectares of natural forest. Between 2001 and 2023, total tree cover loss amounted to 4,190 hectares—a 0.39 per cent decline since 2000. The five districts contributing most to this loss were Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, and Udhampur, with Rajouri alone accounting for 526 hectares. No deforestation alerts were recorded between March 5 and 12, 2025.
Despite these figures, parts of Jammu and Kashmir displayed signs of recovery. From 2000 to 2020, the region gained 38,300 hectares of forest cover, marking a 2.4 per cent net increase. Kulgam, Kishtwar, Shopian, Udhampur, Samba, and Anantnag collectively contributed 52 per cent of this growth. Kulgam alone added 6,240 hectares, significantly surpassing the regional average of 2,610 hectares. According to Global Forest Watch (GFW), 83 per cent of this gain occurred outside plantations, suggesting evidence of natural regeneration.
Between March 11, 2024, and March 10, 2025, GFW recorded 118 high-confidence fire alerts in Jammu and Kashmir. Three such alerts had already been issued in early 2025. The highest single-year figure was recorded in 2016, with 167 alerts. From March 15, 2021, to March 10, 2025, a total of 3,905 fire alerts were recorded via the VIIRS satellite system.
In 2004, forest fires caused the highest annual damage on record, with 240 hectares burned, representing 27 per cent of that year’s total tree cover loss.
Mushroom Harvest Under Threat
Each spring, thousands across Kashmir ventured into the pine and deodar forests to collect the Gucchi mushroom (Morchella esculenta). This seasonal harvest sustained many rural households. However, this year, the prized wild mushroom had become increasingly scarce.
Dry weather, rising temperatures, and forest fires disrupted the damp conditions necessary for morel growth. Officials reported that over 60 hectares of forest in southern Kashmir had been affected.
“We had a devastating fire in the Shalkoot forests of Rafiabad this year, which destroyed a large part of the vegetation and trees,” said a resident. “The areas affected by the fire have not produced any Gucchi mushrooms. Last year, we had a good pick and sold them for thousands per kilogram, but this time the yield is already low due to changing weather patterns, and the fire has made it worse.”
Many others from south Kashmir reported similar incidents that had disrupted their livelihoods.
Long-term data supported this trend. Forest statistics showed a decline in morel output from 200 tonnes in 1991 to just 8.8 tonnes in 2018. Between 2021 and 2023, Jammu and Kashmir lost more than 40 square kilometres of forest cover.
Market trends reflected these changes. Once fetching up to Rs 30,000 per kilogram, morels were priced at Rs 8,000 per kilogram in 2023. This year, prices had dropped to Rs 5,000 per kilogram. The emergence of cultivated mushrooms from Uttarakhand and China had further intensified market pressures.
