Odisha’s Similipal National Park has been raging for nearly a week and caused widespread concerns among environmentalists. As per recent official statements by Union Minister Prakash Javedekar and Odisha CM Naveen Pattnaik, it has now been brought under control. No loss of life has been reported.
The forest reserve has a history of previous similar instances of fire outbreaks that have caused damage to the flora and fauna.
The underlying reason behind such fires can be a lot many things but what tops the list is climate change. As per the MET report and forecast, the state is currently experiencing hot and dry conditions which may stretch till coming May. There has been no substantial rainfall in the entire winter which has further dried out the areas.
What are wildfires?
A “wildfire” can be defined as any type of uncontrolled fire that is spreading across wildland, including pastureland, forests, grasslands, etc. Sometimes, the fires have been reported to have been started intentionally and in a controlled manner, including during “prescribed burning”. Several allegations were made in the case of Amazon fires if one can relate.
It is estimated that just 4% of fires start naturally. However, the proportion of human-started versus lightning-started fire varies widely from region to region.
Wildfires and their impact on the climate
Globally, wildfires have a combined effect on humans, wildlife, and the economy. They are a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and are also responsible for 5-8% of the 3.3 million annual premature deaths from poor air quality, research suggests.
Many regions also experience distinct wildfire seasons, driven by rainy and dry periods and human practices, such as agricultural burning. However, other regions have a risk of fire all year.
Wildfire risk depends on a number of factors, including temperature, soil moisture, and the presence of trees, shrubs, and other potential fuels. All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate. Climate change enhances the drying of organic matter in forests.
Once a fire starts, warmer temperatures and drier conditions can help fires spread even more and make them harder to put out. Land use and forest management also affect wildfire.
But of course, the officials at Simplipal have controlled the situation and refrained from calling the fire “wild”. As of now, five teams have been deployed to douse the fire in Simlipal and the animals have been shifted to safer regions. Although there is a loss of flora, however, bigger trees are safe.