Odisha created 15,723 kms new firelines to Prevent the Spread of forest fires -PCCF

By Our Correspondent 
Bhubaneswar, 17-3-24

The Forest Department of Odisha  has created around 15,723 kilometres of new firelines in the State to effectively prevent the spread of wildfires in this summer ,  told Mr Suresh Pant , PCCF. 

Odisha is the first state to use the Odisha Forest Management System (OFMS) Forest Fire Application. The state has also set up five AI-powered cameras in Similipal to monitor forest fires in real-time. In cases of severe forest fires, the department will seek assistance from the Home Department and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) - said  Mr Pant 

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 forest.

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.

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.