‘Bambi bucket’ ops, ₹67 lakh losses: IAF steps in as Himachal battles massive forest fire in Kasauli

THe native american broadcast ram (IAF) deployed helicopters fitted out(p) with specialised “Bambi bucketful” systems to help contain a major forest fire in Himachal Pradesh’s Kasauli region, as the hill state battles a surge in wildfire incidents amid soaring temperatures.The aerial firefighting operation was launched after local authorities sought urgent assistance to tackle the blaze that had spread across difficult mountainous terrain near the Air Force Station area in Solan district.The “Bambi Bucket” system — a flexible bucket suspended beneath helicopters — allows aircraft to scoop water from nearby reservoirs and drop it directly over fire hotspots. Officials said the technique proved crucial in areas inaccessible to ground teams due to steep slopes and erratic winds. Fire near Air Force Station brought under controlAccording to Sanjay Sood, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), one of the most significant fires this season erupted near the Air Force Station in Solan and spread towards nearby villages.“Air Force helicopters were deployed because the fire had spread close to the Air Force Station. The situation is now fully under control and there has not been any major damage,” news agency ANI quoted Sood as saying. The blaze reportedly continued for nearly 15 hours before it was brought under control through a coordinated effort involving the IAF, civil administration and Forest Department personnel.Officials said aerial support acted as a “force multiplier”, helping suppress flames rapidly in otherwise unreachable pockets and preventing the fire from spreading further towards residential settlements and tourist infrastructure in the Shivalik range.Ground teams remained deployed in the area to secure the perimeter and extinguish lingering embers after the main fire intensity was reduced through water drops by the helicopters.Over 230 forest fire incidents reported this season Despite a rise in wildfire incidents this year, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department maintained that the overall situation remains under control.“The forest fire situation in Himachal Pradesh remains largely under control despite rising temperatures and over 232 reported fire incidents this season that have affected nearly 3,000 hectares of forest land,” Head of Forest Force said while addressing mediapersons in Shimla on Wednesday.The department said around 232 incidents, including both minor ground fires and major blazes, have been reported so far, impacting nearly 2,900 to 3,000 hectares of forest land across the state.The total estimated loss due to forest fires currently stands at nearly ₹67 lakh, Sood said while talking to ANI.Mandi district has recorded the highest number of fire incidents at around 85, followed by Dharamshala with 56 cases. Shimla reported around 10 incidents, while Solan saw six major fire incidents.Temperatures spike across Himachal PradeshForest officials linked the increase in fire incidents to the sharp rise in temperatures across several districts over the past few days.“Temperatures have risen sharply over the last two to three days. Una has recorded temperatures touching nearly 40 degrees Celsius, while Shimla has also seen unusually high daytime temperatures. Because of this, some fire incidents have increased, but overall the situation is still under control,” Sood said.Anticipating a difficult fire season, the Forest Department said it had strengthened preparedness measures in advance.Around 2,000 sensitive forest beats have been equipped with dedicated forest fire fighters and field staff, while rapid response teams have been constituted at circle levels for immediate deployment during emergencies.“We are fully prepared. Forest workers and rapid response teams are reaching fire spots much faster now compared to previous years,” Sood said.He added that a 24x7 fire control room has also been set up in Bilaspur to monitor and coordinate responses to fire-related incidents across the state.(With ANI inputs)