Itanagar, March 9: A major forest fire broke out near the Sigar Military Station in East Siang district, prompting authorities to deploy a helicopter from the Indian Air Force to assist in firefighting operations, officials said on March 7.
The blaze erupted on Saturday in a forested area adjacent to the military station and spread rapidly, posing a potential threat to nearby defence installations. However, officials confirmed that no casualties have been reported so far.
Personnel from the district administration and the Indian Army have been deployed to contain the fire. Ground teams have been working continuously to control the blaze, though the operation has been hampered by difficult terrain and dense vegetation in the region.
Due to the challenges faced by firefighting teams on the ground, the state government requested aerial support from the Indian Air Force.
An IAF helicopter was pressed into service on Sunday and began aerial water-dousing operations, lifting water from the Siang River to help contain the spreading flames.
However, the aerial operation had to be temporarily suspended on Sunday evening due to operational reasons. Officials said helicopter operations are expected to resume on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, ground firefighting teams continue their efforts in the affected forest area as authorities attempt to prevent the blaze from spreading further and threatening nearby installations.
