With the forest fire in Kasauli assuming alarming proportions, defence helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets undertook repeated aerial sorties on Tuesday to contain the blaze raging across the Gilbert Trail and Upper Mall areas since Monday evening.
The massive firefighting operation, which continued for over 15 hours through the night and into the day, involved the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, local administration, fire services and forest department personnel working in close coordination to prevent the fire from spreading across the densely forested cantonment town.
The fire reportedly broke out around 3 pm on Monday following which the Army’s Kasauli Brigade launched an extensive containment operation in the difficult hilly terrain. Ground teams of Army personnel, fire tenders and water carriers simultaneously battled the flames while Indian Air Force helicopters carried out multiple Bambi bucket sorties, drawing water from Sukhna Lake to douse inaccessible stretches of forest.
Officials said aerial firefighting operations began around 6.30 am on Tuesday and continued till evening as strong winds repeatedly threatened fresh flare-ups. The combined efforts helped contain the blaze in key affected areas, including Gilbert Hill and Upper Mall, while preventing its spread into adjoining vulnerable forest zones.
Army personnel, including combatant and non-combatant staff, worked under extremely challenging conditions by creating firebreaks, isolating vulnerable pockets and extinguishing residual hotspots. Teams from the forest and fire departments also remained stationed throughout the night to monitor the situation.
Dharampur Range Forest Officer Banarasi Das, who led the forest teams, said windy conditions and dry pine needles were fuelling the flames, making firefighting operations particularly difficult.
Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, visited the affected area to review the ongoing operation and assess the ground situation. He commended the personnel for their swift response and relentless efforts under hazardous conditions and awarded on-the-spot commendation cards to soldiers actively involved in the operation.
Army officials confirmed that no loss of life or injuries had been reported among civilians or emergency responders.
Kasauli SDM Mahinder Chauhan appealed to residents not to indulge in any activity that could trigger fires, warning that pine needles burn uncontrollably during the prevailing hot and dry weather conditions.
Commandant Home Guards Santosh Sharma termed the incident an “exceptional situation” and said though the major blaze had largely been contained, two fire tenders continued to remain stationed in the town as a precautionary measure against possible flare-ups.
Residents heaved a sigh of relief after defence forces joined the operation with full firefighting resources as Kasauli witnessed one of its worst forest fires in recent years.
