When heatwaves & humans light the match

Patna: They arrive without warning – uninvited, unrelenting. Forest fires , also called wildfires , are more than just flames devouring trees. They are nature's fury unleashed, turning green sanctuaries into blackened graveyards. In their wake, they leave smouldering ruins – of homes, of lives and of entire ecosystems.

Across the world, these blazing infernos are rising in frequency, fury and footprint. From the historic 1825 Canadian fire that scorched three million acres, to the Thomas Fire in Southern California in 2017, which burned through 280,000 acres, and the monstrous bushfires that routinely lash Australia – our planet is becoming more combustible by the year.

"Hotter weather, a result of climate change , leads to heatwaves . As a result, forests and vegetation are drier and at a higher risk of catching fire," said Atul Aditya Pandey, principal of Patna Science College and former chair of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority. "Larger areas are burning because of warming temperatures. Forest fires themselves release gases that further fuel climate change. It is a dangerous cycle," he added.

India is no exception. From Uttarakhand's devastating 2016 fire to the Bandipur blaze in 2017, the danger is inching closer. The Himalayan foothills, dry deciduous belts in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Karnataka are particularly vulnerable. And now, Bihar too finds itself in the crosshairs of this growing threat.

"It's likely that fires will appear in more areas as global temperatures rise and heatwaves become more frequent," warned Birendra Prasad, head of Patna University's botany department.

Wildfires may occur naturally, sparked by lightning or spontaneous combustion of dry vegetation, but the real villain, more often than not, is human activity. Crop burning, discarded cigarettes or unattended campfires can all be the match that lights the tinderbox. "The real problem is that it is most often man-made," said Prasad.

And the damage goes far beyond what the eye can see.

"Forest fires cause environmental devastation, destroying ecosystems, wiping out biodiversity and contaminating soil," said Pandey. "The smoke they release contains fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5, which the World Health Organisation links to premature death and a range of diseases – affecting the lungs, heart, nervous system, skin and even the liver."

The United Nations Environment Programme projected that wildfires could increase by 14% by 2030, 30% by 2050, and a staggering 50% by 2100, potentially affecting even the Arctic.

But all is not lost. There are ways to fight back.

"Controlled burns, sustainable forest management, thinning, and pruning can reduce fuel loads," said environmentalist Mehta Nagendra Singh. "Early detection systems using cameras and sensors, better firefighting infrastructure, and the use of AI and machine learning can all improve response and prevention," Singh added.

As the Earth warms and forests dry, wildfires are no longer distant disasters. They are knocking on our doors. The time to act is now before our forests and our future are reduced to ash.