A 57-year-old woman succumbed to severe burn injuries after being trapped in a forest fire in Chamoli district, marking the third death related to wildfires in Uttarakhand this season. The incident occurred on Wednesday as flames spread through the Alaknanda Van Panchayat area.
Details of the Incident
Forest officials identified the victim as Sureshi Devi. She had gone to her cattle shed to protect her livestock after noticing the approaching fire. The flames quickly engulfed the shed, trapping her inside. Despite being rushed to a hospital, she died due to the severity of her burns.
This is the second fatality in Chamoli during the current fire season. Earlier, Rajinder Negi, a fire watcher with the forest department, died while fighting a blaze. Another forest worker fell into a gorge and died during a fire extinguishing exercise in Nainital.
Legal Measures Enforced
Chamoli Divisional Forest Officer Sarvesh Dubey stated, “The woman had gone alone despite seeing the fire, which proved fatal.” In response, authorities are now enforcing Section 17 of the Bharatiya Van (Uttaranchal Sanshodhan) Adhiniyam, 2001. Under this law, communities dependent on forests who refuse to assist in firefighting efforts may face imprisonment of up to one year and a penalty of Rs 2,000.
Rising Fire Incidents
Chamoli district has witnessed an increase in forest fires this season. Field staff attribute the blazes to careless tourists and villagers who leave forests alight or discard lit cigarette butts. In some cases, villagers intentionally burn forest floors to promote fresh grass growth during the upcoming monsoon.
On Wednesday, the Forest Survey of India issued 664 fire alerts to the Uttarakhand forest department. Prolonged fire activity was reported in districts including Almora, Chamoli, Pauri, Tehri, Bageshwar, and Uttarkashi, where firefighting operations continue. Forest department data released on Wednesday evening showed that 427 fire incidents affected 357 hectares of forest land across the state this fire season. Badrinath and Pauri Garhwal are among the most impacted areas.
Major Fire in Nainital
In Nainital, a major forest fire broke out in the Patwadangar-Kalauna forest area of the Manora Range. Officials said strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of the fire across a large stretch of woodland. Residents noted that forest fires recur every summer and called for long-term preventive measures. Himanshu Pandey, a resident, told TOI that “forests catch fire every summer, yet no permanent solution has been implemented to stop such disasters.”
Nainital DFO Akash Gangwar said response teams were deployed immediately after receiving information about the fire in the Kalauna area, and the fire was contained.
Awards for Firefighting Efforts
To strengthen firefighting efforts and encourage participation, state forest minister Subodh Uniyal announced that awards would be presented across the state’s 13 districts to recognise notable contributions to forest fire control. The awards will honour forest workers, individuals, and groups involved in firefighting operations. The first, second, and third prizes will carry rewards of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000, and Rs 50,000 respectively.
(With inputs from Sonali Mishra in Nainital)
