Hello,

There are no known natural forest fires in India - especially in the south Indian jungles.

All are man made.

Time immemorial, tribals have been setting forest fires. They do this to promote luxuriant growth of grass for grazing. There are other unknown reasons too as to why they set fire. Shift and burning cultivation is very old in our country.

Those days forests were plenty and these stray forest fires caused negligible damage. However with less than 6% forest cover, any forest fire is catastrophic.

In places like Nilgiris, not only tribals set fire. There are other factors - tourists, anti socials etc.

In a dry forest littered with leaves even an unlighted cigar is dangerous enough to cause immense damage.