Indian Army puts out forest fire in Himachal Pradesh’s Kasauli

The Indian Army, in close coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and civil administration of Kasauli and Chandigarh, successfully contained a major forest fire that had broken out in the Gilbert Trail and Upper Mall area on the western slopes of Kasauli, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh.

The fire broke out at approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday (May 26, 2026), prompting the Army’s Kasauli Brigade to launch an immediate, coordinated response to prevent the blaze from spreading through the densely forested and difficult terrain, said an official statement on Wednesday.

The operation, which stretched over 15 hours through the night and into the following day, saw Army troops carry out extensive ground firefighting efforts, supported by fire tenders and water carriers. Simultaneously, IAF helicopters conducted multiple ‘Bambi Bucket’ sorties, drawing water from Sukna Lake in Chandigarh to douse the fire from the air, the statement said.