Context:
Fast-growing wildfires near Los Angeles have caused more than two deaths; hundreds are destroyed and scalded by hilly countryside.
Forest Fire
- A forest fire is an unchecked and non- prescription burning or combustion of plant life in the wild.
- It needs three main ingredients for the fire to keep burning:
- Fuel, Oxygen, and a source of Heat.
Government Initiatives
- National Action Plan for Forest Fires (NAPFF):
- Initiated in 2018, aims to reduce forest fires by informing, enabling, and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivizing them to collaborate with state forest departments.
- The Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme:
- It is the only government-sponsored programme that helps states deal with forest fires.
- Ideal Season
- The Indian forest fire season runs from November to June.
- Most Vulnerable Areas
- The Northeast India, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand forests are the most prone to fires in this season.
- Largest Cases Registered
- The largest number of forest fires have been recorded in Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Maharashtra.
- Reasons for Forest Fires
- Human Carelessness:
- Most forest fires are due to human negligence like cigarette butts, campfires, and burning of waste.
- Weather:
- The extreme temperatures and dry weather in southern India are ideal conditions for the expansion of forest fires.
- Aridity:
- In southern India, above-normal temperature conditions, clear sky conditions, and lack of rainfall have augmented aridity conditions.
- Earlier Dry Biomass Availability:
- Early availability of dry biomass in the forests is another consequence of the above-normal temperature conditions that characterized the lead-up to the summer season.
- Public Awareness and Education:
- This can be brought about by raising public awareness regarding the causes and consequences of forest fires and promoting responsible behavior in forests, which could reduce the cases of human-ignited fires.
- Enforcing Laws and Regulations:
- Strictly enforcing laws and regulations regarding prevention of forest fire can reduce accidental fires.
- Firebreaks and Fuel Management:
- The creation of firebreaks and controlled burns will help minimize the spread of fires by forming barriers and fuel load reduction.
- Early Detection Systems:
- Implementing early detection systems will enable detection of fires at an early stage.
- Human Carelessness:
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims
Q. Consider the following: (2019)
- Carbon monoxide
- Methane
- Ozone
- Sulphur dioxide
Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (d)
- Biomass is an organic material that comes from plants and animals, and it is a renewable source of energy. Biomass contains stored energy from the Sun. Plants absorb the Sun’s energy in a process called photosynthesis. When biomass is burned, the chemical energy in biomass is released as heat.
- Crop residue and biomass burning (forest fires) is considered as a major source of Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Methane (CH4 ), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX). Burning of rice crop residue releases Suspended Particulate Matter, SO2, NO2 and O3 in the atmosphere. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer
Mains:
Q. Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree? (2014)
