Forest fire near military station in Arunachal; IAF helicopter deployed

A major forest fire broke out near the Sigar military station in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, prompting authorities to deploy an Indian Air Force helicopter to assist in firefighting operations, officials said on March 8.
The blaze, which erupted on Saturday in a forest area adjacent to the military station, has been spreading rapidly and poses a threat to nearby defence installations. However, no casualties have been reported so far.
Officials said personnel from the district administration and the Indian Army have been deployed to contain the fire. Ground teams have been working continuously to bring the blaze under control, but the operation has been hindered by the difficult terrain and dense vegetation in the region.
Due to the challenges faced by firefighting teams on the ground, the state government requisitioned the deployment of a helicopter from the Indian Air Force for aerial firefighting support.
An IAF helicopter was pressed into service on Sunday and began aerial water-dousing operations by lifting water from the Siang River to control the spreading flames.
However, the aerial operation had to be temporarily halted on Sunday evening due to operational reasons. Officials said the helicopter operations are expected to resume on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, firefighting efforts by ground teams are continuing in the affected forest area as authorities attempt to prevent the blaze from spreading further and threatening nearby installations.