Forest fires in India have risen by over 80% in early 2026 compared with the past decade
Fire activity is more than 50% higher than in 2024, the warmest year on record
Intensity of fires has also increased, with more severe and energy-intensive burns reported
North-east India remains the worst affected, but spikes are seen across Himalayan states, Odisha and southern regions
Fires are starting earlier in the season, raising concerns about climate-linked risks
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.
An analysis of fire activity by Down To Earth (DTE) indicated that forest fires in the first two months of 2026 increased by more than 80 per cent compared with trends over the past decade since 2014. When compared with the warmest year on record 2024, fire activity in forested regions was over 50 per cent higher.
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.
To assess fire trends, DTE mapped forest regions using OpenStreetMap data and overlaid fire activity data from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) S-NPP system.
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.
The fires in the state reportedly began on February 13, affected multiple areas and prompted evacuations in some localities. Local media reported that Indian Army personnel joined IAF teams to tackle fires in remote parts of Anjaw district, at altitudes of 900 to 1,060 metres.
Part of the article was originally published under the cover story Fading Winter in the 1-15 September, 2024 Print edition of Down To Earth