A massive forest fire near the Air Force Station in Himachal Pradesh’s tourist town of Kasauli sparked an intense emergency response operation after flames rapidly spread across large areas due to extreme heat and strong winds. The fire reportedly began on Tuesday afternoon in the Jangeshu area when dry pine leaves caught fire, quickly turning into a dangerous blaze that moved toward sensitive zones near the Air Force Station. As the situation escalated by evening, authorities sought immediate assistance from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force to prevent further destruction.

The Indian Air Force deployed Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters for aerial firefighting operations, with helicopters repeatedly lifting water from Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake and dropping it over the burning forest areas. Officials said the aerial operation continued for nearly seven to eight hours before the flames near the Air Force Station were finally brought under control. Firefighters from the Kasauli Cantonment Board, Air Force fire units, forest department personnel, and Army soldiers worked throughout the night to stop the blaze from spreading further into nearby residential and military areas.

Although authorities confirmed that the fire close to the Air Force Station has now been extinguished, several nearby forest regions continue to remain at risk. Fires were still reported from areas near Kasauli Mall Road, VIP zones, Jangeshu-Manon Road, Upper Mall, and forest belts in Solan district including Shamlech, Anji, Kandaghat, and Basal. Forest officials are currently assessing the environmental damage caused by the fire while emergency teams remain deployed across affected regions to prevent fresh flare-ups amid ongoing dry weather and strong winds.