Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers were deployed on Tuesday to contain a forest fire that broke out near Tharugarh and Manaun villages in Jangesu gram panchayat under Kasauli sub-division of Solan district, officials said.
Fanned by string winds and dry weather conditions, the fire spread quickly through large stretches of forest land, prompting authorities to intensify firefighting efforts.
IAF Mi-17 helicopters were pressed into service for aerial water-dropping operations. “The choppers have been cleared to carry out night operations using night vision equipment, an official added.
Initially, the administration deployed two fire tenders from the Parwanoo fire brigade, one from the Kasauli Cantonment Board, and three from the IAF station in Kasauli. Personnel from the fire department, forest department, and army soldiers also joined the firefighting and rescue operations.
According to preliminary information, the blaze initially started near Manaun village and spread quickly to adjoining areas.
An MI-17 helicopter was deployed to carry out aerial water-dropping operations to contain the flames.
Apart from Kasauli, forest fires were also reported from the Kyarighat area of Kandaghat sub-division late Tuesday evening. The Solan district administration stated that, except for the Kandaghat region, the majority of forest fire incidents reported across the district have been brought under control.
Meanwhile, two separate forest fires were reported near Shimla city. Blazes broke out simultaneously in the forests of Malog and Rajhana under the Mashobra range.
