Dehradun/Mussoorie, May 26 -- The state forest department has registered 90 cases against people for allegedly sparking forest fires since the fire season began on February 15, officials said on Monday. The state police has lodged 15 FIRs in such cases in the period. Garhwal forest division recorded the registration of 18 cases. In Muni-ki-Reti in Narendranagar forest division, the most FIRs- seven in total- were lodged. Officials said the state recorded 375 instances of forest fires which destroyed nearly 320 hectares of forest land. Badrinath, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh forest divisions together accounted for 139 cases reported. Chief conservator of forests and state nodal officer for forest fires, Sushant Patnaik, said this year logged incidents compared to the previous year due to prolonged dry weather. "Our priority right now is to control forest fires. After that, we will analyse the reasons behind the increase in incidents this year," Patnaik said. He said the department has introduced several measures, including incentives for communities, recognition and insurance support for personnel, promotion of pine needle (pirul) collection and utilisation, and restoration of forest lines to help contain fires. Forest fires in Uttarakhand generally occur between February and June, peaking during May and June when high temperatures and prolonged dry spells create favourable conditions. They affect biodiversity, damage soil microorganisms and wildlife habitats, and impact communities living near forests. Uttarakhand has a forest cover of 24,303.83 sq km, accounting for 45.44% of its geographical area. Of this, 0.10% falls under the extremely fire-prone category, 12.92% under very highly fire-prone, 27.64% under highly fire-prone, 20.01% under moderately fire-prone and 39.33% under the less fire-prone category. According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, released by the Forest Survey of India in December 2024, Uttarakhand recorded 21,033 forest fires between November 2023 and June 2024 ,the highest among all states and nearly four times higher than the corresponding period a year earlier. Mussoorie and Chakrata forest ranges witnessed forest fires on Sunday night, said officials. Officials said a major fire broke out in the dense pine forests below Nirankari Bhavan near the iconic Camel's Back Road area in Mussoorie. Fed by highly inflammable dry pine needles, locally known as pirul, and intensified by gusty winds, the flames spread rapidly and engulfed nearly half a hectare of forest land, officials said. The blaze generated thick plumes of smoke that blanketed large parts of Mussoorie, causing respiratory discomfort among residents and tourists. Officials said portions of the affected area fall under the jurisdiction of the Landour Cantonment Board, while the remaining stretch comprises private forest land. Forest Range Officer (Mussoorie) Mahendra Singh Chauhan said that the fire started between 6 pm and 7 pm on Sunday. It took over four hours for forest staff to control the blaze. "The steep terrain prevented fire tenders from directly reaching the spot, forcing teams to descend on foot into the forest area," said Chauhan. "After coordinated efforts, the blaze was finally controlled around 10 pm on Sunday night. No casualties were reported," said Mussoorie divisional forest officer Amit Kanwar. Residents living near Camel's Back Road said the situation could have turned disastrous had the wind direction shifted towards nearby residential localities. Officials recalled that a similar major forest fire had erupted on the slopes below Camel's Back Road in 2012, when smoke had severely reduced visibility across the valley. They said the accumulation of dry chir pine needles over the years may have contributed to the fresh outbreak. In the Chakrata forest division, a major fire broke out below the main road near Barori in the Cantonment Board area, close to residential settlements. Firefighting teams battled the blaze for nearly seven hours before dousing it late on Sunday....