Overview
- The blaze started in the Painkhanda forests within the Nanda Devi National Park range near the UNESCO-listed Valley of Flowers at roughly 11,500 feet.
- Repeated ground attempts failed and adverse weather delayed an initial aerial survey, with a helicopter reconnaissance planned and water drops prepared if conditions allow.
- Disaster management secretary Vinod Kumar Suman confirmed the request to the IAF, and Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said a helicopter plan is in place following a survey.
- Forest officials report 20–25% humidity, dry deciduous leaf litter, and scant snowfall, which are likely sustaining the fire, though the ignition cause remains unknown.
- The site’s fragile alpine meadow hosts around 600 flower species, and Uttarakhand has faced elevated fire activity, including 21,033 detections between November 2023 and June 2024 and high alerts in late 2025.