SNPP collects forest fires at 375 metres resolution so even small fires are picked up. There could be many factors contributing to increased forest fires — one of them is fuel load. The FSI’s data shows forest fires started spiking from January this year peaking dramatically in March. In February, Odisha recorded 83% rain deficiency, Uttarakhand 71%, West Madhya Pradesh 68%, and Telangana 74%, among others. “Generally, when there is a dry period for a long time and temperatures are high, forest fires increase.

Source: Hindustan Times March 07, 2021 18:40 UTC