Odisha's Simlipal Forest Fire: Why It Is A Matter Of Concern The Simlipal Forest Fire: The sudden onset of summer from February acted as a perfect fuel for the rise in a wildfire. Vanoomitra Acharya Outlook Web Bureau 2021-03-08T07:30:41+05:30 Odisha's Simlipal Forest Fire: Why It Is A Matter Of Concern outlookindia.com 2021-03-08T08:44:26+05:30 The Simlipal forest reserve area frequently witnesses forest fires during dry weather conditions. The sudden onset of summer from February acted as a perfect fuel for the rise in a wildfire. What is the Simlipal Biosphere reserve? Situated in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, Similipal is a national park and a tiger reserve. Its name is derived from ‘Simul’ (silk cotton) tree. The government of India on June 22, 2004, declared Similipal and the adjoining areas a biosphere reserve.