Uttarakhand news: Fire breaks out near Neem Karoli Baba Ashram Kainchi Dham in Nainital | Watch

A major fire broke out in the forested hills near Neem Karoli Baba Ashram Kainchi Dham in Nainital district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

The state administration rushed to the spot and the fire department is trying to control the fire, which is threatening to spread across the region.

A video of the fire in the hills of the Nainital forest is circulating on social media.

ALSO READ: ‘You showed us rosy picture…’: SC raps Centre, state over U'khand forest fires

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The cause of the fire is not known yet.

The Uttarakhand state has recently witnessed an alarming rise in forest fires, prompting concerns about environmental safety.

According to the Uttarakhand government’s reply in the Supreme Court in a related case earlier this month, there were 398 forest fires from November 2023 till May 8 2024.

ALSO READ: Nainital forest fires: 8 new fires, operation on with IAF helicopter & more

On April 27, a massive fire broke out in Ladiyakata area of the Nainital Air Force Centre.

Earlier this month, an intense forest fire engulfed Srinagar in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal region.

To prevent and control forest fires, the Uttarakhand government last week launched a scheme to remove dried pine leaves ‘Pirul’ from the forest.

Under the scheme ‘Pirul Lao-Paise Pao’, dried pine leaves will be purchased at the Pirul Collection Centre at the rate of ₹50 per kg.

Every year, Uttarakhand faces forest fires between mid-February to June, as during this period the trees shed dry leaves and the soil loses moisture due to a temperature rise.

Pine leaves fall in large quantities and take a long time to decompose. They only need a spark to ignite.

On May 7, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had emphasized the state's commitment to bring the situation under control.