205 Forest Fires So Far! Last Year Saw 19063

CG Forest Fire: As the heat arrives in Raipur, incidents of forest fires across the state are increasing daily. From January 1 to February 19, 2026, fires have occurred at 205 locations.

CG Forest Fire: As the heat arrives in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, incidents of forest fires are increasing daily across the state's jungles. From January 1 to February 19, 2026, fires have occurred at 205 locations. While 45 locations caught fire between February 1 and 21, on February 21 alone, 46 forest areas were ablaze.

CG Forest Fire: Jungles Begin to Smoulder as Heat Arrives

Among these, Bijapur district has the highest number of incidents with 16, followed by Udanti with 11, Bastar with 5, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh and Raigarh with 3 each, Kondagaon with 2, and one incident each in Dhamtari, Dharmjaygarh, Janjgir-Champa, Korba, Mahasamund, and Raipur districts. Forest department fire watchers and local forest village committees are engaged in extinguishing the fires. Incidents of arson in forest areas are increasing every year.

While 2006 saw the lowest number of 99 incidents, 2025 recorded the highest with 19,063. The main reasons for this are the careless discarding of bidis and cigarettes by local villagers and passersby, villagers setting fire to the base of trees for Mahua collection, and hunters setting fires for wildlife hunting. In view of this, local forest staff and wildlife village committees have been instructed to remain alert to protect the forests from arson.

Significant Damage to Medicinal Herbs and Plants

Arson not only scorches the forests but also turns medicinal herbs and plants into ashes. Wildlife also perishes in these fires. The state government incurs losses of lakhs of rupees annually due to these incidents. Furthermore, the spread of pollution in the forests adversely affects the residents of local forest villages.

Awareness campaigns are being conducted for them. All Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) are appealing for immediate reporting of arson and cooperation in extinguishing fires. It is noteworthy that during 2025, an average of 52-53 fire incidents occurred daily.

Monitoring via Drones

Incidents of arson are being monitored using drones in Udanti Sitanadi and Achanakmar Tiger Reserves. Teams are dispatched immediately upon sighting smoke. In anticipation of the upcoming Tendu leaf plucking season, all Divisional Forest Officers have been directed to specifically counsel collectors and Mahua gatherers involved in these activities. Bijapur is the most affected, with fire watchers and forest village committees on the front lines; carelessness, Mahua collection, and hunting have emerged as major causes...

Fact File

Year — Incidents of Arson
2020 — 4713
2021 — 22191
2022 — 18447
2023 — 13096
2024 — 14776
2025 — 19063
2026 — 251
(From January 1 to date)