© APForest fire.
As drought sucks regions of Maharastra and Telangana dry, the Himalayas are getting singed by forest fires.
From Uttarakhand to Jammu and Kashmir, lack of rainfall and scorching heat are sparking wildfires in dry forests which are getting wafted into residential areas by strong winds. Apart from losing acres of lands to these flames, human as well as animals are literally in the line of fire.
However, India is not the only country suffering. Wildfires seem to be springing up in different parts of the world.
Last year, Indonesia was hit by some devastating wildfires that killed 19 people and led to at least 5 lakh cases of respiratory tract infections as well as 100,000 premature deaths.
This year, the world continues to battle raging wildfires, with India being high on the list:
Canada
More than 80,000 people residing in the city of Fort McMurray were ordered to evacuate their homes on Tuesday to escape a huge wildfire inching towards the Canadian city.
The raging forest fire has already destroyed homes, hospitals, petrol pumps, and many other buildings in its wake on the outskirts of Alberta province.
The wildfire struck on Sunday "when the temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius" in cold Canada. Soon, the flames entered the residential area, forcing people to flee with little notice.
As the fire-fighting continues, as many as nine air tankers, 100 firefighters, and more than a dozen helicopters are working round the clock to get the fire under control. Emergency shelters have been set up for people without homes.
© APResidents fleeing the forest fire in Fort McMurray, Canada.
The deadly forest fire has led to at least seven deaths and gutted more than 3,465 hectares of forest land. Having started out about a month ago, the wildfire got worse recently "with more than 400 fires raging at the same time".
BBC reports there have been at least 1,218 separate fire incidents in the last month. Apart from some miscreants being blamed for starting the fires, many of the blazes are a result of the forests being exceptionally dry this year due to low rainfall.
According to National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), satellite imagery indicates over 70 per cent of the flames having been put out. A light spell of rain added much-needed relief to fire-fighting efforts.
© NewsflickStatistics of forest fires in India.
A wildfire was reported in Arizona's Sycamore Canyon yesterday. Situated about five miles west of Pena Blanca Lake in Santa Cruz County, firefighters were left battling flames that spread across 15 acres of land.
While no homes or other structures are said to have been harmed by the fire, "two fire engines, two helicopters, two hand crews, and miscellaneous overhead assistance" were sent to the area to bring the fire under control.
The dry and windy weather prevailing in the area raises the risk of spreading this or sparking "possibly new wildfires".
© APArizona forest fire.
Apart from India, neighbouring Nepal is also battling one of its worst spells of forest fires. Apart from whipping up a lot of pollution, these fires have killed at least 11 people in the region and destroyed almost 700 acres of forest.
Speaking to Reuters, Nepal's Forest Ministry official Krishna Prasad Acharya said, "This year we have experienced a longer spell of dry weather and the temperatures have risen significantly, contributing to the disaster."
These fires, coupled with the ones spreading across northern India, have mustered a pall of smoke across the southern Himalayas that can be seen even from space.
© PTIWildfires in the Himalayan range.
The place, known for its pleasant weather at this time of the year, is currently shrouded in smoke stirred by the incessant forest fires in the Himalayas.
After having gutted about 50 acres of forest land, the fires had even reached UNESCO's world heritage railway track near Dharampur and National Highway 22 this week. Even Shimla, Solan, Chail and Kasauli were "enveloped in smoke".
Earlier, some 750 people, including 600 students, were evacuated from a boarding school near Kasauli when flames almost touched the building on Monday.
Himachal Pradesh forest fires.
After Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, some forest fires were reported from the Nowshera Forest Division of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
Aerial image of the forest fires in the Himachal range.
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