Bhubaneswar: Odisha has monitored a total of 2,571 fire points for fire safety since the beginning of the season on January 1, 2026, according to the latest report from the state Forest Department. Of these, 2,351 fire points are within the jurisdiction of the Fire Brigade, while 220 points lie outside its direct control.
The report highlights that 2,567 fire points received a response during this period, marking an impressive 99.84% coverage between January 1 and March 2, 2026. This near-complete response rate reflects the state’s strengthened monitoring and rapid-response systems.
Following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Forces (HoFF), the Forest Control Room (FCR) at the state headquarters functions as the central command, coordination, and monitoring hub. It liaises with district administrations, police, railways, ODRAF, NDRF, and other stakeholders during emergencies.
In addition, divisional and circle-level control rooms have been set up to operate round the clock. These rooms immediately alert the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and the Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) in the event of critical fire incidents, irrespective of the time. Each shift at the Forest Control Room has a minimum of three personnel, and both physical laminated maps and digital GIS layers are maintained at all times to ensure accurate monitoring.
Circle Control Rooms serve as supervisory, consolidation, and coordination hubs, overseeing local operations and reporting critical developments to the state headquarters. These measures aim to reduce response times and mitigate damage from forest fires across Odisha, which is prone to seasonal fire outbreaks.
