BHUBANESWAR: Over 94,000 hectare area in the state has been affected by forest fires in the last 10 years, Forest, Environment and Climate Change minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to different questions on wildfire and government’s preparedness to deal with the crisis, Singhkhuntia said around 94,571 hectare area has been affected in the last one decade between 2016 and 2025. As per the statistics furnished by the minister, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) recorded more than 2.77 lakh fire incidents in the state during this period.
The maximum impact on forest areas and periphery was recorded in the year 2021 in which the state reported a whopping 57,079 incidents and around 28,570 hectare area was affected. In 2025, the state recorded 29,709 incidents of forest fire that affected a total 4,609.34 hectare area.
The minister clarified that wildfires in the state of Odisha are primarily surface-level and forests damaged by these incidents get rejuvenated during the rainy season. As a result, trees and biodiversity are not destroyed by these forest fires, he said.
The minister also said that no assessment has been made regarding the number of wildlife casualties caused by forest fire in the state.
However, responding to the questions, he said fire lines have been created inside the forest and in the areas adjacent to the forest boundary, while 334 fire protection squads formed and 334 vehicles along with 1,037 leaf blowers, fire extinguishers and sufficient number of fire safety kits have been provided to effectively deal with the forest fire menace. AI integrated cameras are also being used to get real-time alert on wildfires in Similipal, Singhkhuntia said.