Chandigarh: A massive forest fire has broken out in the hills of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, posing a serious threat to nearby forests, wildlife and the environment. Considering the gravity of the situation, an Indian Air Force MiG-17 helicopter was deployed on Wednesday to assist in firefighting operations.
The helicopter is reportedly collecting water from Sukhna Lake and carrying out aerial water drops in different fire-affected areas.
Authorities and rescue agencies are working on a war footing to control the blaze. Relief teams are continuously using water sourced from Sukhna Lake to contain the rapidly spreading fire in the hilly terrain.
Officials said the fire spread quickly due to intense heat and dry vegetation, making firefighting efforts more difficult. According to reports, the blaze erupted on Tuesday afternoon in the Manon forest area of Solan district’s Kasauli region and soon turned massive, destroying large portions of forest wealth worth lakhs of rupees.
No casualties have been reported so far, but officials confirmed that a significant part of the forest area has suffered extensive damage.
Teams from the Forest Department and Fire Brigade are actively engaged in controlling the flames. Reports indicate that the fire had started moving towards populated areas, triggering panic among nearby villagers who feared that it could reach residential localities.
Meanwhile, a separate fire incident was also reported in the forest area of Chandigarh’s Sector-53. Fire brigade teams rushed to the spot and managed to control the blaze in time, preventing major damage. Authorities fear that such incidents could severely impact the natural habitat of wildlife in the affected forest regions.
