A fire broke out in a forest area in Kasauli, and at least two Indian Air Force helicopters were deployed to extinguish the blaze, officials said on Tuesday.
They added that the forest fire was reported near the air force base in Kasauli.
The fire consumed a large part of the forest. Forest Department teams and a number of fire engines rushed to put out the fire, but they were unable to extinguish it.
The IAF then deployed its Mil Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters to put out the fire, especially in inaccessible areas of the forest. Water was also raised from Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh to extinguish the fire.
Officials said that until the latest reports were received, efforts were still underway to extinguish the fire.
In another incident, a forest fire was also reported in Rajhana village near Shimla. Teams from the forest and fire departments rushed to put out the fire. Officials said that the high temperatures over the past few days are likely the cause of the forest fires.
A fire broke out in Maloj and Rajhana forests in Shimla
Smoke continued to rise throughout the day on Tuesday from forests in rural Shimla. At around one o’clock in the afternoon, fires broke out in the Malug and Rajana forests located within the Mashobra mountain range. The fire quickly engulfed several hectares of forest land.
Teams from the forest department and fire department rushed to control the fire, but the fire was not brought under control until late at night. The fire in Malug was briefly brought under control. In Rajhana, firefighters unilaterally brought the fire under control after nearly five hours, but were unable to contain it completely.
