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Amid the increasing number of fire points being detected across Odisha this summer, the Forest Department has created around 15,723 kilometres of new firelines in the State to effectively prevent the spread of wildfires, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Suresh Pant said on Monday.
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In a coordinated effort, the Department has put in efforts to control forest fires. However, in cases where fires escalate, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) will be mobilised for additional support through the Home Department. The State has been a trailblazer by employing the Odisha Forest Management System (OFMS) forest fire application to efficiently address these issues, PCCF Pant expressed.
To facilitate real-time intelligence, at least five Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven cameras have been strategically placed in Similipal forests in the Mayurbhanj district.
Climatic factors responsible for wildfire
Rising temperatures and dry weather have created tinderbox conditions, with 46 percent of 1,956 fire points in 2025 occurring during a single week of February. The FSI reported 11 large active fires in Koraput circle alone by mid-February, exacerbated by early leaf-shedding patterns in southern Odisha forests.
Ecological vulnerabilities in Odisha
About 27.97 percent of the forests are classified as highly fire-prone, particularly deciduous systems covering 57,066 square kilometres. The Koraput circle remains most vulnerable due to its combination of tropical dry forests and human settlement patterns.
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Anthropogenic causes dominate, including slash-and-burn agriculture, and Mahua (Mahula in local parlance) flower collection practices involving dry leaf burning and land clearing, particularly in Keonjhar’s tribal belts. More than 1,100 fire points in 2025 originated outside the formal forests.
