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The laterite grasslands of coastal Karnataka become very dry in the summer and are subject to the harsh sun and hot winds blowing up laterite hill slopes. A carelessly thrown lit cigarette or matchstick in these areas can cause havoc in a matter of minutes, as the dry grass and leaf litter catches fire.
These fires travel fast across the hill slopes. In the past, I have seen burnt geckos, frogs and even nests in the aftermath. On the evening of 13 March 2016, I was alerted by one of the locals about this fire on a lateritic hill slope in Manipal. We (Gaurav Tiwary and I) reached the spot to document the fire and found this green vine snake nearby trying to climb up a burnt bush! With the fire in the background and moving away, I took a few images and retreated, knowing that the snake was out of danger, but also wondering how many more may have perished.
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Chosen as 'Picture of the Week'
Fires such as these are a common feature across much of the landscape where dry grasslands/fields exist, especially from January to April. Very few are controlled and most are caused by humans.