India, Jan. 15 -- Satellites have detected active fires in the Valley of Flowers forest range in the past week, a 87.5 square kilometres national park in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and a UNESCO world heritage site. This might appear strange for a winter month in a hilly region of the country. However, data shows that fires are not unheard of in this month in Uttarakhand, although they are usually lower than in summer months. While the trigger for fires can be both manmade and natural, they persist or spread in winter months when precipitation is low. This rain and snow scarcity may be one reason why the fires are high in Uttarakhand this January, and are persisting in the national park.

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