Wildfires have started gutting patches of forest in the State even before the onset of summer.
Since January 1, as many as 41 instances of forest fires have been reported in the Forest Fire Alert System, a national database maintained by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
The most number of cases has been reported from Idukki (14) followed by Palakkad (7), Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Wayanad and Pathanamthitta (3 each), Kasaragod and Kozhikode (2 each), and Kannur, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur (1 each).
The districts of Wayanad and Idukki are considered facing increased fire risks than other parts of the State as they received comparatively less rain during the season.
Rain reduces risk
However, forest officials have assessed the ensuing season as a less risky one, considering the copious rain the State had received and also the extended rainy season. It had rained in many districts during December, which could reduce the risk of forest fire significantly, they felt.
P.K. Kesavan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest ((Forest, Land and Resources), felt that the good showers Kerala received during the last monsoon could reduce the risk significantly.
Usually, the grass that grows on exposed rocks which get dry during summer catches fire quickly. Till now no significant loss of forest has been reported, he said.
Regarding the reported fire incidents, Mr. Kesavan said some instances were reported outside forest areas. In some other cases, the fire lines that were created for controlling the blaze were mistaken as forest fire.
On receiving fire alerts, officials of the forest areas concerned would be directed to carry out field verifications, he said.
In one case, the fire created inside a private holding went out of control and spread into the nearby forest area. One person was arrested and a case registered in this regard, he said.
The FSI, according its website, has been “alerting State Forest Departments and other registered uses of forest fire locations.”
Since 2017, it had started disseminating alerts up to Beat level in 10 States and up to Forest Range Level in Kerala. Besides the SMS, “e-mail alerts with geocoordinates of the fire location as well as a web link to view it” are also issued.
Preventive measures
On the fire prevention measures, Mr. Kesavan said most parts of the job including the creation of fire lines were completed by January 15.
The pending jobs would be completed within a week. The department had been following the traditional fire control measures and there have not been any significant technological interventions in the country regarding prevention of wild blaze, he said.
