Bengaluru: While conditions — rising temperatures and dry, hot winds — are ideal for large-scale forest fires in the state, especially in biodiversity-rich Western and Eastern Ghats, Karnataka has successfully contained nearly 90%–95% of reported incidents before they escalated, in the process emerging as a national model in forest fire management. Officials credit the achievement to the state’s adoption of advanced technology and rapid-response systems. Data from the forest department shows that over 9,000 forest fire alerts have been recorded since Jan 2026, both within forest areas and buffer zones. Officials said most incidents were quickly contained, preventing them from turning into major disasters. The success is largely attributed to a robust early warning system based on satellite monitoring. The shift to a technology-driven approach from traditional monitoring systems came after devastating fires at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Feb 2017 and 2019, which together ravaged more than 12,000 acres of forest, claimed the life of a forest watcher, and left several officials injured. A key change was collaboration with Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre (KSRSAC), which led to the creation of a home-grown forest fire alert system. It now plays a critical role in managing fire incidents. “Forest fires captured by satellites are processed in near-real time at Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Application Centre and converted into actionable alerts by KSRSAC, which are disseminated to field staffers within minutes,” said Anil Kumar Ratan, additional principal chief conservator of forests (forest resource management). “The alerts include precise geographical coordinates, weather parameters and nearby landmarks, enabling rapid deployment of ground teams. The alerts are transmitted directly to frontline personnel — from beat guards to senior officers — via SMS.” Field personnel are mandated to respond immediately and upload geo-referenced photographs along with action taken reports on an integrated digital platform. This system has significantly improved accountability, with feedback rates rising from 43% in 2020 to 98% in 2025. As of Feb 2026, the department has recorded a feedback rate of 99%. Officials said nearly 60% of alerts originate from agricultural fields in buffer zones or are linked to controlled burning carried out to create fire lines. In cases where fires are deliberately set, legal action has been initiated against offenders. “Trained personnel are deployed at the control room who track every alert besides following up with field officials,” said Eshwar Khandre, forest minister. “We also receive alerts from citizens via our helpline ‘1926′ which has strengthened our surveillance. Besides, our dept regularly implements preventive measures, like setting up watchtowers in sensitive areas and controlled burning to create and maintain fire lines. We also involve local communities and hire tribal groups as seasonal fire watchers. They are our first line of defence in summer months.” Karnataka has also leveraged historical fire data to develop fire risk zonation maps and weekly fire spread vulnerability forecasts using inputs from the India meteorological department (IMD). Advanced geospatial tools now provide real-time decision support to both field staff and senior officials.
