Mercury spike sparks forest fires in Himachal Pradesh’s lower hills

Rising temperatures in Himachal Pradesh led to 597 forest fires. Dharamshala reported 151 fires, affecting 223 hectares with losses of Rs 27 lakh. Chamba, Rampur, and Shimla had fewer incidents. MSID 110316115, drones, Una, Kangra, and heat wave alert were mentioned.