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[[File:India UK.svg|thumb|The state of Uttarakhand within India]] | [[File:India UK.svg|thumb|The state of Uttarakhand within India]] | ||
The '''2016 Uttarakhand forest fires''' were a series of widespread, damaging [[ | The '''2016 Uttarakhand forest fires''' were a series of widespread, damaging [[wildfire]]s that took place in [[Uttarakhand]], [[India]] between April and May. The fires were caused by a [[Heat wave|heatwave]] that spread across Uttarakhand and were the worst recorded in the region with a reported {{convert|4,538|ha|acre}} of forest burnt down and seven people dead.<ref name=timesofindia-12Feb20>{{Cite news |title=Second-worst in 16 yrs, fires destroy 2,521 hectares forest cover in Uttarakhand |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/forest-fires-rage-in-ukhand-despite-crores-spent-on-mitigation/articleshow/69660263.cms |date=12 February 2020 |first1=Vineet |last1=Upadhyay |access-date=25 August 2020 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref name="IE4May16" /> | ||
Officials detected nearly 1,600 total fires which were brought under control by 2 May, and as rain fell the following day, it reduced the impact of the wildfires.<ref>{{cite news |date=4 May 2016 |title=Showers help in fighting Uttarakhand forest fires |newspaper=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/showers-help-in-fighting-uttarakhand-forest-fires/article8552452.ece}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2 May 2016 |title=Uttarakhand forest fire controlled: Rijiju |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/uttarakhand-forest-fire-controlled-rijiju/article8547156.ece}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Centre gives over Rs 47,000 cr to 27 states for green activities - The Economic Times|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/centre-gives-over-rs-47000-cr-to-27-states-for-green-activities/amp_articleshow/70893919.cms|access-date=2020-08-25|website=m.economictimes.com}}</ref> An initial report on 4 May noted that {{convert|3500|ha}} had been destroyed by the fire.<ref name=" | Officials detected nearly 1,600 total fires which were brought under control by 2 May, and as rain fell the following day, it reduced the impact of the wildfires.<ref>{{cite news |date=4 May 2016 |title=Showers help in fighting Uttarakhand forest fires |newspaper=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/showers-help-in-fighting-uttarakhand-forest-fires/article8552452.ece}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2 May 2016 |title=Uttarakhand forest fire controlled: Rijiju |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/uttarakhand-forest-fire-controlled-rijiju/article8547156.ece}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Centre gives over Rs 47,000 cr to 27 states for green activities - The Economic Times|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/centre-gives-over-rs-47000-cr-to-27-states-for-green-activities/amp_articleshow/70893919.cms|access-date=2020-08-25|website=m.economictimes.com}}</ref> An initial report on 4 May noted that {{convert|3500|ha}} had been destroyed by the fire.<ref name="IE4May16">{{cite news |date=4 May 2016 |title=Uttarakhand forest fire: Rain brings relief, death toll reaches seven |newspaper=[[The Indian Express]] |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/uttarakhand-forest-fires-rain-brings-relief-death-toll-reaches-seven-2783585/}}</ref><ref name="Hindu30Apr16">{{cite news |first1=Kavita |last1=Upadhyay |date=30 April 2016 |title=Uttarakhand battles fire crisis|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |place=Dehradun |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/forest-fire-claims-five-lives-ndrf-forces-deployed-to-control-flames/article8538875.ece |access-date=9 May 2016}}</ref> | ||
== History and causes == | == History and causes == | ||
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==Controversy and long term impact== | ==Controversy and long term impact== | ||
Reports were published in the local media which variously blamed both the local people and timber companies for the forest fires. Environmental journalist [[Bahar Dutt]] blamed the television media for their "Delhi centrist world view" that disregarded the historical and ecological natural causes of fire, due to the high density of pine trees that increases the fire hazards.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/jAknMWYCgRW9amfVOrmX7K/How-media-got-the-Uttarakhand-fire-story-wrong.html | title=How the media got the Uttarakhand fire story wrong | work=[[Live Mint]] | date=6 May 2016 | access-date=9 May 2016 | author=Dutt, Bahar}}</ref> Various tourism-related associations suggested that the exaggerated representation of the fires by the media could reduce tourism, a major part of the state economy. Part of a team of [[conservationists]] and [[ | Reports were published in the local media which variously blamed both the local people and timber companies for the forest fires. Environmental journalist [[Bahar Dutt]] blamed the television media for their "Delhi centrist world view" that disregarded the historical and ecological natural causes of fire, due to the high density of pine trees that increases the fire hazards.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/jAknMWYCgRW9amfVOrmX7K/How-media-got-the-Uttarakhand-fire-story-wrong.html | title=How the media got the Uttarakhand fire story wrong | work=[[Live Mint]] | date=6 May 2016 | access-date=9 May 2016 | author=Dutt, Bahar}}</ref> Various tourism-related associations suggested that the exaggerated representation of the fires by the media could reduce tourism, a major part of the state economy. Part of a team of [[conservationists]] and [[biologist]]s who studied the private and state forests since 1950, Smetacek maintained forest fires did not occur naturally in the geographical topography of the region concerned. Natural fires are not seen anywhere in Indian forests, she added. The introduction of pine trees by the British caused a more volatile fuel to the (man-made) fires.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mehta|first=Mayank Aggarwal,Nikita|date=2016-05-02|title=Understanding the Uttarakhand forest fire|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/pzqeyf4y9sKu52DDbXMKcI/Understanding-the-Uttarakhand-forest-fire.html|access-date=2020-09-03|website=Livemint|language=en}}</ref> | ||
Fires directly destroy biodiversity and have indirect long-term impacts, including the encouragement of fire and pioneer species. It has been suggested that the dark carbon dust emitted by the fires deposited on [[Himalayas|Himalayan]] glaciers could hasten the glaciers' melting. This could affect the [[hydrology]] of the rivers that are a source of water for human populations in northern India.<ref>{{cite news|date=3 May 2016|title=Uttarakhand forest fires could melt glaciers faster, say experts|newspaper=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Uttarakhand-forest-fires-could-melt-glaciers-faster-say-experts/articleshow/52084218.cms}}</ref> The average temperature of northern India saw an increase of 0.2 °C.<ref name="Rediff3May16" /> | Fires directly destroy biodiversity and have indirect long-term impacts, including the encouragement of fire and pioneer species. It has been suggested that the dark carbon dust emitted by the fires deposited on [[Himalayas|Himalayan]] glaciers could hasten the glaciers' melting. This could affect the [[hydrology]] of the rivers that are a source of water for human populations in northern India.<ref>{{cite news|date=3 May 2016|title=Uttarakhand forest fires could melt glaciers faster, say experts|newspaper=The Times of India|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Uttarakhand-forest-fires-could-melt-glaciers-faster-say-experts/articleshow/52084218.cms}}</ref> The average temperature of northern India saw an increase of 0.2 °C.<ref name="Rediff3May16" /> | ||