India, March 17 -- This article was originally published in the March 16-31, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth. Subscribe now for exclusive visual analysis of Himalayan forest fires

A story of fire and ice is unfolding across the higher reaches of the Indian Himalayas. Across the range, from the western to eastern Himalayas, they are now climbing to elevations previously thought immune, while also growing in frequency and intensity.

Analysis of satellite data by Down To Earth (DTE) shows that over the past decade forest fires in high-elevation areas in the western Himalayas have quadrupled. DTE examined fire trends during the active fire season, which typically runs from November 1 to June 1. In 2013-14, satellite monitoring recorded ...