There has been speculation that the forests of Himachal Pradesh, India, are on fire after a video showing a helicopter taking off over a burning mountainous region and lighting the forest on fire went viral.
@Pratibh77939701 tweeted “हिमाचल के जंगलों में आग लगाई जा रही है! ऐसी जाहिलियत अभी तक विदेशी हि कर रहे थे अब भारत में भी करने लगे Or फिर खुद को विश्वगुरु घोषित करते फिरेंगे !” on May 7, 2024. The tweet has received an about more than 2.5k views on X.
What is the Actual Truth About this Incident? : Fact
Actually, this is an old video of controlled or prescribed fire from the Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman, Arizona, US. The goals of prescribed fires are to improve pasture conditions for livestock and wildlife, replicate the natural fire frequency, and reduce fuel loads to make natural fires less destructive. The outdated video is unrelated to India. So, the claim that a helicopter flying over a burning mountain area and setting fire to the forest has been circulated, with the assertion that the forests in Himachal Pradesh, India, are being burned is not true. We visited blm.gov, which wrote on this on March 17, 2017 with the heading “Prescribed Burns Planned in the Hualapai Mountains”. The purpose of the burn is to treat approximately 1,500 acres of dense interior chaparral vegetation to improve mule deer habitat and return fire to an area where it can play a natural role in the health of the ecosystem. Prescribed fires are intended to mimic natural fire frequency and intensity and will reduce fuel loads so that natural fires are less destructive and will improve forage conditions for wildlife and livestock. The burn areas are located in the southern Hualapai Mountains in upper Beecher and Crow Canyons. Smoke may be visible from Kingman, Yucca, Wikieup, Interstate 40, and Highway 93, and will be heavy at times. Impacts from the smoke on Kingman and other areas should be minimal and the majority of smoke should disperse quickly. Jeep trails accessing the burn areas will be temporarily closed for public safety and reopened when safe to do so. Also, the video was uploaded on Facebook by Bureau of Land Management – Arizona on March 22, 2017.
D-Intent’s Fact-Checking Results:
1941
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) May 8, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video of a helicopter flying over a burning mountain area and setting the forest on fire has been shared claiming that the forests in Himachal Pradesh, India are being set on fire. The fact is that this is an old video of prescribed fire (1/3) pic.twitter.com/dJ3tShEdPK
Intent:
Influencers are circulating old videos of prescribed fire or controlled fire from the USA, claiming to be from India, to set their narrative. A video of a helicopter flying over a burning mountain area and setting the forest on fire has been shared claiming that the forests in Himachal Pradesh, India are being set on fire. This is an old video showing prescribed or controlled fire in the Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman, Arizona, USA. Prescribed fire are designed to replicate natural fire frequency and intensity, reduce fuel loads to make natural fires less destructive, and improve foraging conditions for wildlife and cattle. The video is rather old and has nothing to do with India.
Conclusion:
Claim : A video of a helicopter flying over a burning mountain area and setting fire to the forest has been circulated, claiming that forests in Himachal Pradesh, India, are on fire.
Fact : The fact is that this is an old video of prescribed fire or controlled fire from the Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman, Arizona, USA. Prescribed fires are intended to mimic natural fire frequency and intensity,reduce fuel loads so that natural fires are less destructive & improve forage conditions for wildlife and livestock. The video is old and has nothing to do with India.
