BARIPADA: Despite successfully extinguishing flames in 28 locations within the Similipal park’s vicinity across Baripada, Karania, STR South, STR North, and Keonjhar divisions in the last 24 hours, an additional 31 fire points were reported within the park on Thursday. Efforts to combat the wildfires were taken up following confirmation reports from Artificial Intelligence (AI) satellite monitoring.
Official sources revealed that two fire points were identified in the Rairangpur division, 12 in the STR South wildlife division, and 17 in the STR North wildlife division.
The regional chief conservator of forests and field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), Prakash Chand Gogineni credited the successful prevention efforts to the prompt response of forest staff, Similipal protection assistants, ex-Army personnel, and ODRAF.
“The integration of AI technology has significantly enhanced early detection capabilities, enabling rapid response and fire containment. Six tower-based AI systems, equipped with high-resolution cameras capable of 360-degree movement, have recently been installed across various locations within the Similipal Tiger Reserve,” the officer stated.
These towers effectively discern smoke and fire from a distance, issuing alerts to facilitate immediate action for fire suppression. While the cause of the wildfires remains under investigation, authorities attribute the widespread outbreaks to severe heat conditions, with temperatures soaring to 43.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday.