Goa, May 11 -- Goa has seen a significant reduction in field and wildland fires in the years following the Covid pandemic, as per the latest data from the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). After a sharp rise in 2023, when grass and field fires surged to 2,408 incidents, the number dropped dramatically to 1,231 in 2024, and further to 631 in 2025. Similarly, wildland fires followed this decline, falling from 599 in 2023 to 190 in 2024, and to just 86 in 2025. This decrease follows a period of increased fire incidents largely attributed to human negligence, such as illegal stubble burning and arson.

However, officials caution that Goa remains seasonally vulnerable to these fires, especially during the dry months between No...