Uttarakhand, the most fire-prone state in the Indian Western Himalayas, is experiencing expanding wildfire seasons, with winter fires now occurring where snow once fell. Women, bound by traditional gender roles that assign them household and forest-based labor, are the default first responders. Many men have migrated to cities for work, leaving women to protect their land, cattle, and homes. These women, often unpaid and without protective gear, use sickles and makeshift firebrooms to beat back flames, suffering burns, injuries, and chronic health issues from smoke inhalation.