Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said the Jammu region has witnessed more than 1,760 forest fire incidents since FY 2023-24 till January 2026, affecting over 4,100 hectares.
As per official data released by the forest and environment department, as many as 1,763 fire incidents were reported across 19 forest divisions in the Jammu region, involving 4,195.24 hectares of forest land during the period.
According to the data, a total of 281 fire incidents were reported during 2023-24, affecting around 371.49 hectares. The number rose steeply in 2024-25, when 1,135 fire cases were recorded, affecting around 3,154.90 hectares across the region.
During the ongoing financial year, up to the end of January 2026, 419 fire incidents have already been reported, with an affected area of about 668.85 hectares.
The data shows that the East Jammu division recorded the highest number of incidents in 2024-25, with 488 cases affecting nearly 1,786.56 hectares, followed by the West Jammu division with 326 cases over 875.03 hectares, and the Chenab division with 321 cases impacting 493.31 hectares.
In 2025-26 so far, the West Jammu division has emerged as the most affected, reporting 171 cases involving around 331.95 hectares, followed by East Jammu with 98 cases over 147.7 hectares, and the Chenab division with 150 cases affecting 189.2 hectares, the data said.
Among individual divisions, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Batote, Reasi and Rajouri consistently reported a high number of incidents during the period under review, while areas such as Samba, Billawar and NHIA Batote reported comparatively fewer cases.
The government said the data underscores the growing challenge of fire incidents in the Jammu region and highlights the need for strengthened preventive measures, improved monitoring and faster response mechanisms to minimise damage to forests and property.
