A massive forest fire that raged through the Kasauli beat area in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district for more than 27 hours was finally brought under control following a large-scale joint operation involving the Indian Air Force, Army, Forest Department and local administration.
The blaze reportedly broke out on May 26 in the forested hills near Kasauli and rapidly spread across nearly 10 hectares due to dry weather, strong winds and soaring temperatures. Authorities said the fire threatened nearby residential areas, tourist zones and even military installations, including the Air Force Station in the region.
As ground teams struggled to access difficult mountainous terrain, the Indian Air Force stepped in with Mi-17 V5 and Chinook helicopters equipped with specialised “Bambi Bucket” systems for aerial firefighting. Helicopters carried water from Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake and dropped thousands of litres over affected forest areas in repeated sorties.
Officials said more than 150 aerial sorties were carried out during the operation, with helicopters dropping around 62,500 litres of water to contain the flames. Night-vision-assisted operations were also conducted to stop the fire from spreading further into vulnerable zones.
The firefighting mission was coordinated under Himachal Pradesh’s Incident Response System, with teams from the Forest Department, Army, fire services and local administration working continuously through the night. Personnel created firebreaks, cleared debris and monitored hotspots to prevent fresh flare-ups after the main blaze was controlled.
According to forest officials, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, though extreme heat and dry pine needles are believed to have intensified the situation. The state has witnessed a sharp rise in wildfire incidents this season, with more than 230 forest fire cases reported across Himachal Pradesh so far, affecting nearly 3,000 hectares of forest land.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjay Sood said the situation in Kasauli is now under control and there has been no major damage to military infrastructure or nearby settlements. However, authorities remain on alert as smaller fires continue to be reported from nearby forest areas in Solan district.
