Surge in wildfire incidents across Odisha; 2,586 fire points detected in 7 days

With the progressing summer, the rising number of forest fires across Odisha has raised grave concerns. As many as 2,586 fire points were detected in different forests of the State during the last seven days, a Forest Survey of India (FSI) data revealed today.

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As per the FSI source, the districts where forest fires were spotted between March 2 and March 9 are Odisha’s Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Bargarh, Bolangir, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Sundargarh, Boudh, Subarnapur, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Gajapati, Ganjam, Deogarh, Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, and Jajpur.

The blaze persisted…

The blaze, which has persisted for an extended time, has hindered local forest officials from reaching the fire points expeditiously in the State. Consequently, the raging fire continues its destructive path, threatening the ecological balance by decimating a wide array of trees and natural vegetation.

Worth mentioning, at least 1,172 fire points were previously detected in different forests of the State between February 25 and March 4. Since then, there has been a substantial rise in the number of detected fire points.

Any fire hotspot detected by the satellite, i.e. MODIS and/or SNPP-VIIRS sensors, which gets filtered in the forest area of India is regarded as a ‘forest fire incident’. It is likely that wildfires raged due to a rise in temperature and dry weather conditions, the data revealed.

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 the slash-and-burn agriculture, 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.