Jharkhand Launches ‘Fire Warrior’ Drive to Combat Forest Fires | 25 Feb 2026

Why in News?

The Jharkhand Forest Department has launched a community‑driven initiative called the ‘Fire Warrior’ drive to reduce forest fire incidents to zero by strengthening local participation and early response mechanisms.

Key Points:

• Objective: The primary goal of the Fire Warrior campaign is to drastically reduce forest fire occurrences during the high‑risk season (February to the onset of monsoon) through community engagement and rapid response.
  • Nearly 28,000 villagers from areas prone to forest fires have been enrolled as Fire Warriors and connected via WhatsApp groups to enable fast reporting of fire outbreaks and coordinated firefighting actions.
• Capacity Building: Villagers will be trained in fire prevention and firefighting techniques, with selected members being groomed as master trainers to widen the outreach and enhance local preparedness. 
• Coordination: Forest officials will collaborate with the Government of India, the Disaster Management Department, and local communities to maintain special vigilance during the fire‑prone months. 
  • District‑level action plans and direct field contact with villagers are being prioritised.
• Awareness Activities: Awareness campaigns are being conducted in schools, with public representatives included in the initiative. 
  • Activities such as street plays and student‑led prabhat pheris are being organised to educate people living near forest areas about fire prevention. 
• Significance: The Fire Warrior drive in Jharkhand emphasises community engagement, training, awareness, and coordinated action as key strategies to achieve a significant reduction in forest fire incidents and safeguard forest resources and biodiversity.