GENEVA - Much like over-exposed banks, many countries have ignored big risks from natural hazards and must now take urgent steps to protect people from disasters, a United Nations official said on Thursday.

Due to failure of winter rain and continuous dry spell over the past several months, the Forest Department here has started a campaign to check forest fires in the area.

BHUBANESWAR: The recent forest fires across the State and rise in February temperature could be the effect of the climate change and global warming. Migratory birds coming to Orissa are affected too by these phenomena, going by their number.

Udhagamandalam,
The fire had spread from Lampsrock and Dolphin Nose, around noon as tourists arrived in buses for sight- seeing in the Coonoor forest range
ABOUT 200 tourists who were caught in a forest fire near Coonoor have been rescued, official sources said on Monday.

The forest department has suspended tourism activities following the incident, the sources said.

Precarious situation prevails in the Chimminy, Peechi and Periyar forest areas

K.S. Sudhi

KOCHI: Forest fire has become a major environmental concern in the State with many of the wildlife sanctuaries facing the threat of outbreak of wildfire.

MUMBAI: Repeated fires at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivli have left officials flummoxed and a dead bamboo plantation is adding to the problem.

Melbourne:

New wildfires flared on Tuesday, but thousands of firefighters managed to keep them within firebreaks despite strong winds in southern Australia following blazes that killed more than 200 people. Wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour blew in from the northwest around Victoria state.

Mumbai: A major fire suspected to have been triggered by tribal people residing within the forest area on Monday charred about 10,000 hectares of forest in the heart of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

A devastating fire gutted about 30,000 trees of Telmachhara forest range in Habiganj yesterday afternoon.

However, the wildlife and valuable trees at the nearby Satchhari Jatiya Udyan remained unharmed. The animals escaped deep into the forest due to tremendous heat, informed official sources.