Without waiting for the forest officials to arrive at the blaze site, two minor girls aged 13 and 16 and two women aged 23 and 43 took it upon themselves to extinguish the forest fire which was in close proximity to their village. Read more about the brave act which coincidentally unfolded on a day dedicated to women empowerment across the world.

The heatwave, which is sweeping across the country right now, is causing fires that are swallowing up the standing crops. On April 18, in Majhra village of Unnao in UP, 40 hectares of wheat was lost to a raging fire. Farmers blame delayed response by the fire department, which in turn points fingers at old fire engines, insufficient manpower and bad roads.

The forest of Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve caught fire on March 27 and continued to burn for four days. Similar reports of forest fires have surfaced from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The rise in the incidence of forest fires coincide with the heat wave conditions in India which experts attribute to the adverse effects of climate change. But is there a link between the two? Read on to know more.