Similar patterns appear along much of the Himalayan arc, where studies have documented a notable upward shift in fire activity since 2001, when continuous satellite-based fire observations became available. One study, published in Natural Hazards by researchers from Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Palampur, notes “a significant increase of forest fires towards higher elevation.”
Historically, most Himalayan forest fires occurred below 2,000 m, where near-surface temperatures are comparatively higher and human activity more prevalent, explains Somnath Bar, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Irvine, who studies Himalayan forest fires. But the pattern is changing. “Our satellite-based observations have detected fire events at higher elevations, ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 m across the Himalayas,” Bar says.