A forest fire has been raging for the last five days in the Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO heritage site in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. This area sits at 3,300 metres above sea level and is home to about 600 exotic flower varieties. The fire started in the forests of Painkhanda under the Valley of Flowers range in Nanda Devi National Park. Difficult terrain and lack of roads have made it hard for firefighters to reach the site. "Under these circumstances, the State has sought support from the IAF," said Vinod Kumar Suman, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary. The local district administration is working hard to control the fire. "The district administration is making all efforts. Authorities have conducted a helicopter survey and if necessary, plans have been made to pour water from helicopters into the affected area to extinguish the fire," said Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar. Experts find the timing unusual because forest fires usually happen from February to June, peaking in May and June. An SDRF official said, "Almost no or nominal snowfall in the hills might be the reason for the incidents of forest fires being reported in early January. The snow keeps the surface wet and prevents such incidents." The Forest Survey of India reported that Uttarakhand had a high number of forest fire alerts in December 2025. The state received 1,153 fire alerts in 2025, destroying hundreds of hectares of forest land.