In February 2019, major forest fires broke out in numerous places across the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka state in India.

The National Remote Sensing Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) carried out an assessment of the total area affected by the fire.

Unlike in previous years, this was the first time the wildfire in Bandipur flared up earlier due to the sudden climatic change and rapid growth of dry grass and Lantana.

[7] Two Mi-17 Indian Air Force helicopters were deployed on 25 February 2019 afternoon to douse the fire, which had been raging for three days in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

[8] The helicopters were deployed after Karnataka state Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy called on the Indian Air Force for help.

Nature Conservation Foundation's Wildlife Scientist Mysore Doreswamy Madhusudan estimated that 17,000 acres would have been affected since the National Remote Sensing Centre excluded the damage in administratively part of Bandipur (Revenue land).