Dehradun/Haldwani, April 22 -- Uttarakhand has begun reporting forest fire incidents with the onset of summer, as rising temperatures and dry conditions make forest floors highly combustible, officials said. According to forest department data, a dozen fire incidents were reported in the state between April 12 and 18, affecting 8.37 hectares of forest land. Since the start of the fire season on February 15, a total of 141 incidents have been recorded, impacting around 81.87 hectares. State forest minister Subodh Uniyal said rainfall during March helped keep forest fire incidents under control earlier in the season. Head of the Uttarakhand forest force Ranjan Kumar Mishra said, "We have been coordinating with different departments. Chir pine needles are a major cause of forest fires, and we have self-help groups collecting them. This has also generated employment opportunities." Chief conservator of forests and state nodal officer for forest fires Sushant Patnaik said rising temperatures could lead to more incidents in the coming weeks. "As temperatures increase, we expect a rise in forest fire incidents. However, the department is prepared to deal with any situation," he said. Forest fires in the state typically occur between February and June, with peak activity recorded in May and June when prolonged dry weather and heat create ideal conditions for fires. Such incidents significantly affect biodiversity, damaging soil microorganisms, wildlife, insects and birds, and also impacting communities living near forest areas. 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, the state reported 21,033 forest fires between November 2023 and June 2024-the highest among all states and nearly four times higher than the same period the previous year. Meanwhile, a major forest fire has been raging in the Gethia-Alukhet area of Nainital district for the past 48 hours. The blaze, which broke out on April 19 near Pilot Baba Ashram under the Nainital forest division, was briefly contained on Monday evening but flared up again on Tuesday due to hot conditions and dry vegetation. Personnel from the forest department, the state disaster response force and the fire department,along with local villagers, have been deployed to control the blaze. More than 50 people are currently working to create fire lines to prevent its spread toward residential areas. Sub-divisional officer (forest), Nainital, Mamta Chand said residential areas have been secured for now, though controlling the fire deeper inside the forest is taking time due to difficult terrain and high temperatures. Preliminary estimates suggest that around two hectares of forest land have been affected....