Forest fires rage in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: Come summers, and forest fires have started raging in Uttarakhand, officials said on Monday.

According to data provided by the Forest Department, nearly 1,000 hectare of forests have been affected this season owing to forest fires at a number of places.

This includes 783 hectare of reserved forests where the fire incidents have taken place. The total incidents reported so far are 711 including 558 in the reserved forests.

Forest incidents have been reported in all the 13 districts of Uttarakhand. Almora district is the worst affected, with 287 hectare of forests affected by the fires.

Forest fires are a common feature during summers in Uttarkhand where more than 70 percent of the area comes under forests.