A high tempo operation spearheaded by the Army and aided by the Air Force and local agencies finally managed to contain the forest fires that erupted in the Gilbert Trail and Upper Mall area on the western slopes of Kasauli.

The last of the forest fires, which had been simmering for past couple of days but flared up on Tuesday afternoon and night, were put out under adverse wind conditions around the Upper Mall road of the hill station. The fires had almost reached the crest of the Ridge on the Upper Mall and may have ended engulfing the Doordarshan tower, Kasauli Club and the residences situated on the Ridge-line had continuous efforts on ground and in air not been mounted, officials said.

When The Indian Express team reached Kasauli Wednesday morning, Army jawans were beating the fire back, fire tenders were dousing the hillside with water and IAF MI-17 helicopters were showering water from the skies. The IAF helicopters undertook multiple sorties till early afternoon, fetching water from Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh in Bambi buckets and dumping it over the fire lines. Notably, by road, Chandigarh is about 60 km away from Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh.

Speaking to The Indian Express at the Kasauli Club, a Colonel involved in the firefighting operations said that efforts by the Kasauli Brigade and IAF warded off a disaster. “At one point last night, we were worried due to the intensity of the fire but a sustained overnight operation lasting over 15 hours saved the situation,” he said.

An Army statement said that its personnel, in close coordination with the IAF, civil officials of both Kasauli and Chandigarh administration, and other local agencies, doused the forest fire on the western slopes of Kasauli.

Speaking to The Indian Express, RK Singla, member of the Kasauli Cantonment Board said the heavy winds blowing in on the reverse slope of the Upper Mall were fuelling the flames. “We do not know what caused the fire. It could be due to the extreme heat, which we have been witnessing over the past few days, which, coupled with the dry pine leaves and tinder, led to the big fires. The fires also reached the vicinity of the Air Force Station and were also witnessed in the area around Sanawar but were brought under control,” he said.

SDM Kasauli, Mahender Pratap, appealed to visitors to the town and locals not to indulge in any activity which precipitates a fire in the dry summer heat.

Army officials said that following the outbreak of the fire at approximately 3pm on May 26, its Kasauli Brigade launched an immediate and coordinated response to prevent the blaze from spreading across the densely forested and difficult terrain.

“The operation involved extensive ground firefighting efforts by Army troops, fire tenders and water carriers, alongside aerial firefighting missions by IAF helicopters. The combined efforts significantly contained the fire in key affected areas, including Gilbert Hill and Upper Mall, while preventing its spread into vulnerable forest zones,” an officer said.

Army personnel, including both combatant and non-combatant staff, continue to operate under challenging conditions, creating firebreaks, isolating vulnerable pockets and dousing residual hotspots to prevent flare-ups, the officer said.

All personnel and equipment deployed in the operation remain safe, officials said, adding no loss of life or injuries have been reported among civilians or responders.

Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, also reviewed the ongoing operations and assessed the situation on the ground. He commended the personnel for their swift response, courage and relentless efforts under extremely challenging conditions. In recognition of their exemplary professionalism and dedication, he awarded On-the-Spot Commendation Cards to personnel actively involved in the firefighting operation.

The tourist inflow into Kasauli continued unabated even as the fire fighting efforts were being undertaken in one part of the town. While the Army restricted the entry of vehicles and civilians on the Upper Mall, long queues of cars were witnessed on the outskirts of the hill station as people headed for a summer break.