Udhampur, June 10 -- An intense heatwave currently gripping the Udhampur region has triggered a series of forest fires, with the latest blaze reported in the Rang forest area of Ramnagar on Wednesday.

This incident is part of a broader struggle for local forest authorities, who are contending with a spike in fire activity as temperatures soar. According to Naresh Majotra, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Ramnagar, the department has recorded twenty-one fire incidents since the season began on May 22.

"So far this season--specifically since the first incident occurred on May 22nd--there have been a total of twenty-one incidents, ranging from minor to major," Majotra said.

Highlighting the department's response to the crisis, the D...