Pune: Forest fires which occur during summer months had started as early as Jan on various tekdis of the city this year.
Different locations in Maharashtra registered over 500 such instances between Feb 1 and 17, Forest Survey of India data revealed.
Tekdi walkers and volunteers who undertake cleaning of tekdis and watering of trees had also noted a spike.Experts said high day temperatures as early as Feb and months of dry weather may have had a role to play in blazes.
High atmospheric temperatures and low humidity provide favourable ground for a fire to start. When conditions are favourable, manmade causes, such as a lit cigarette or bidi, electric spark or any source of ignition coming into contact with inflammable material, can cause a blaze.
Deepak Shrote, volunteer, Vasundhara Swachata Abhiyan — involved in saving the Baner Pashan hills, said, “Feb has seen fires in Pashan hill and the forest area adjoining Sus village, with approximately seven incidents reported lately. Towards end of Jan, a fire broke out in the forest area near Sus, prompting passersby to raise an alarm. They contacted the fire brigade, but were told that no vehicles were available. It highlights a serious issue where authorities must ensure they are adequately equipped and possess proper infrastructure to respond to such emergencies. Citizen vigilance alone cannot be enough. Subsequently, we reached the scene with volunteers and contained the fire within an hour.”
He said forest fires destroy habitats and directly kill or displace numerous plant and animal species, leading to a loss of biodiversity. “Some species may not be able to survive or find suitable habitats after a fire. Mature trees may be killed outright, while younger trees may suffer damage to their bark and foliage.”
Himanshu Kulkarni, whose group undertakes activities for the upkeep of Vetal Tekdi, said, “Fire season has started arriving early since last year owing to hot days in winter season. Fires start as early as Nov or Dec and several patches in the tekdi have been burnt as a result. Hot days are a precursor to natural (spontaneous combustion of vegetation) or manmade blazes, as dry grass catches fire quickly. In such conditions, a lit cigarette bud is enough to start a fire.”
Atul Wagh, member of Green Hills Group, said there had been two to three instances of fire on Chatushrungi Tekdi in Feb. “We had prepared a fire line last year to prevent fires from crossing a certain boundary. Recently, a fire broke out on the top of the tekdi where we had created a miyawaki forest over a 20,000sqft area. A chunk of it was destroyed.”
Sanjay Parodkar, founder, Life Tree Nature Foundation, said, “A tekdi in Narhe also saw a fire recently. Such instances occur during hot days because of increase in dried grass which catches fire quickly.”
Many species rely on forests for habitat and food sources. When these habitats get destroyed by fire, populations of those species can be affected, leading to imbalances in predator-prey relationships and cascading effects throughout the food chain.
Different locations in Maharashtra registered over 500 such instances between Feb 1 and 17, Forest Survey of India data revealed.
Tekdi walkers and volunteers who undertake cleaning of tekdis and watering of trees had also noted a spike.Experts said high day temperatures as early as Feb and months of dry weather may have had a role to play in blazes.
High atmospheric temperatures and low humidity provide favourable ground for a fire to start. When conditions are favourable, manmade causes, such as a lit cigarette or bidi, electric spark or any source of ignition coming into contact with inflammable material, can cause a blaze.
Deepak Shrote, volunteer, Vasundhara Swachata Abhiyan — involved in saving the Baner Pashan hills, said, “Feb has seen fires in Pashan hill and the forest area adjoining Sus village, with approximately seven incidents reported lately. Towards end of Jan, a fire broke out in the forest area near Sus, prompting passersby to raise an alarm. They contacted the fire brigade, but were told that no vehicles were available. It highlights a serious issue where authorities must ensure they are adequately equipped and possess proper infrastructure to respond to such emergencies. Citizen vigilance alone cannot be enough. Subsequently, we reached the scene with volunteers and contained the fire within an hour.”
He said forest fires destroy habitats and directly kill or displace numerous plant and animal species, leading to a loss of biodiversity. “Some species may not be able to survive or find suitable habitats after a fire. Mature trees may be killed outright, while younger trees may suffer damage to their bark and foliage.”
Himanshu Kulkarni, whose group undertakes activities for the upkeep of Vetal Tekdi, said, “Fire season has started arriving early since last year owing to hot days in winter season. Fires start as early as Nov or Dec and several patches in the tekdi have been burnt as a result. Hot days are a precursor to natural (spontaneous combustion of vegetation) or manmade blazes, as dry grass catches fire quickly. In such conditions, a lit cigarette bud is enough to start a fire.”
Atul Wagh, member of Green Hills Group, said there had been two to three instances of fire on Chatushrungi Tekdi in Feb. “We had prepared a fire line last year to prevent fires from crossing a certain boundary. Recently, a fire broke out on the top of the tekdi where we had created a miyawaki forest over a 20,000sqft area. A chunk of it was destroyed.”
Sanjay Parodkar, founder, Life Tree Nature Foundation, said, “A tekdi in Narhe also saw a fire recently. Such instances occur during hot days because of increase in dried grass which catches fire quickly.”
Many species rely on forests for habitat and food sources. When these habitats get destroyed by fire, populations of those species can be affected, leading to imbalances in predator-prey relationships and cascading effects throughout the food chain.