The Worrying Year for Forest Fires in India

April 5, 2026

Pulaha Roy

When it comes to forest fires, 2026 is emerging as a concerning outlier. Early data suggests that both the number of fires and their intensity have risen sharply, pointing to a potentially severe fire season.

However, it is not only the number of fires that is worrying. The intensity of these fires, measured by the rate of thermal energy released by burning vegetation, has also increased compared with previous years.

North East India has consistently reported some of the most intense forest fires, and this trend continues. But the increase is not limited to that region. Spikes in fire intensity have also been recorded in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, in Odisha in the east, and in the Rayalaseema region in southern India.

NASA FIRMS defines fire intensity primarily through fire radiative power, which measures the rate of emitted radiative energy (in megawatts) from a fire, typically derived from satellite thermal sensors.

The data was filtered to include only fire points within forested areas and analysed based on fire intensity. Forest fires have also begun earlier than usual this year. In Uttarakhand, fires swept through hill regions unusually early in the season. Between November 1, 2025 and February 14, 2026, the state forest department recorded 54 fire incidents, affecting around 42 hectares of forest — roughly the size of 60 football pitches.

As temperatures continued to rise, another 60 fires were reported between February 15 and March 14, affecting a similar area. Residents have also reported prolonged fire activity. Forests near Naurakh village were covered in smoke during winter, with local resident Reena Devi saying nearby forests burned for several days in January.

North East India has seen particularly severe outbreaks. In February, large swathes of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland were engulfed for a week, prompting sustained aerial firefighting by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in high-altitude Himalayan terrain. Helicopters were deployed to spray water at elevations above 2,800 metres. In the Lohit valley of Arunachal Pradesh, over 12,000 litres of water were dropped to contain the flames. (Courtesy: DTE)