Forest Fire - Main Causes
The causes of the forest fires can be classified in three main categories i) Natural, ii) Intentional/deliberate due to man and iii) Unintentional/accidental due to man.
Natural: Natural fires occur mainly due to lightning orsometimes due to rolling stones and rubbing of dry bamboos with each other in the strong wind. Nothing can be done to avert such fires.
Intentional/Deliberate: Intentional/deliberate are the ones most commonly reported. Fires are set in forests for inducing luscious growth of grass for better grazing. Villagers sometime set fire to drive away the game destroying their crops and to catch the wild animals running away. The enmity with forest staff is also responsible for incendiary activities in forest areas by neighboring rural population. Fires are also caused by villagers for collecting minor forest produce
(mfp) like honey, mahua, flowers etc. that fall on the ground. Sparks from coal-fired railway locomotives may also cause forest fires. Nothing much can be done to prevent a fire if it is a willful act on the part of local dwellers. However, occurrence of the fire can be averted if it is the result of unintentional activities of the innocent tribals or the natural factors.
Unintentional/Accidental:Unintentional/accidental fires occur in a forest due to careless throwing of match-sticks and burning ends of
cigarettes/bidis , carrying of naked fire by people passing through forests, spread of fire from labor camps and recreation or picnic sites. These are the factors governed by parameters like vicinity to settlements and distances from roads.For any area to be prone to fire depends on many factors such as vegetation type/density, soil type, humidity of the area, vicinity to settlements, distances from roads and the host of others. While it is not possible to account for the natural occurrences or the deliberate attempts, the areas prone to accidental fires can be mapped. The prominent among the possible factors leading to accidental fires are
Vegetation type/density: Dry and dense vegetation is obviously more susceptible to fire than the moist and sparse one. Vegetation with less than 10% moisture content ignite readily, while the moist take time in igniting/burning.
Climatic factors: Of the four environmental factors viz., climatic,
edaphic, physiographic and biotic, climatic factors influence fires the most. The climatic regime determines the vegetation in a region and hence plays dominant role in ascertaining the fire-prone sites. Drier the climate, more prone would be the site.
Physiographic factors: Physiographic factors, viz., altitude, aspect and topography, influence climatic conditions, and therefore, indirectly affect the vegetation. Aspect: Aspect plays vital role in spreading of the fire. Southern slopes, exposed to direct rays of Sun are more vulnerable to catching fire.
Topography: It is an important physiographic factor which is related to wind behavior and hence affects the fire-proneness of the area. Fire travels most rapidly up-slopes and least rapidly down-slope.
Edaphic factors: Soil and vegetation are mutually dependent on each other. If soil influences growth of plants, vegetation adds to richness of soil and thus is an important factor
(Lal, 89).
Distance from roads: The man, animal and vehicular movement and activities on the road provide enough scope for accidental/man-made fire. Nearer the roads, more would be the chance of fire.
Vicinity to settlements: The areas near to the habitats/settlements are more prone to fire since the habits/cultural practices of the inhabitants can lead to incidental fire.
Causes of Fire in GIR National Park
As far as Gir National Park is concerned, based on continuous observations over the years, the forest department associates the following reasons for fire-incidences in the Park:
- First and foremost reason for the forest-fires in the Gir National Park area can be associated with the illicit cutting and stealing of the wood in the area. To drive away the attention of the forest-department personnel, fire is intentionally created by those involved in this illicit activity.
- For clearing the roadside blockades from the inspection-paths, small fires are some times created by the forest department itself.
- Running of the steam engine between Sasan and Sattadhar has also been experienced as one of the most common cause of the fires in the Park area.
- Carelessness of the people coming for collecting minor forest-produces (MFPS).
- Camp fire by Maldharis during the winter season.
- Forest fires in the friges of the protected area by the near by villagers in want fresh grass in the next season.
- GIR P.A. is under constant threat by 1,50,000 pilgrims who visit religious places within the sanctuary area and lighting lamps during offering prayers and leaving them carelessly.
- Traffic in public highways within sanctuary and protected area.