Srinagar, April 18 -- Each year from April 14 to 20, India observes Fire Services Week in memory of 66 brave firefighters who died in the 1944 Bombay Dock explosion. In Kashmir, the observance has grown from a ceremonial occasion into a pointed reminder of the region's escalating ecological and infrastructural crises - and of the people who continue to battle them on the frontlines.

Fire Services Week in Jammu and Kashmir this year comes amid an unprecedented increase in forest fires. The region recorded 1,243 fire incidents in forests during the 2024-25 fiscal year, more than double the 607 reported in the previous year. These fires affected over 3,500 hectares of land - a significant portion of Kashmir's treasured green cover. The Pir ...