New Delhi: The Indian Air Force successfully carried out round-the-clock aerial firefighting operations to contain a major forest fire in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday.
The operation began on May 26 after the IAF received information about a forest blaze near Kasauli. A HAL Cheetah helicopter was first deployed to assess the situation, following which Mil Mi-17 helicopters were pressed into service under the aid-to-civil-authorities framework.
Indian Airforce with active assistance from the Army and the State administration played major role in extinguishing Kasauli Forest Fire.
Mi-17 V5 using Bambi Bucket were pressed into action on 26th May 2026 to airdrop water over areas affected by fire. The operations was… pic.twitter.com/HUcEpKRM1r
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) May 30, 2026
The fire, which spread across nearly 10 hectares in the Kasauli Beat area of Solan district, threatened residential areas, key infrastructure and military establishments.
Working in coordination with the state administration, forest department, army and local authorities, IAF crews carried out extensive Bambi Bucket operations, drawing water from Sukhna Lake. Each sortie carried around 2,000–2,500 litres of water.
According to officials, more than 93,000 litres of water were dropped on the affected area, helping prevent the blaze from escalating.
In a first for the IAF, night-time Bambi Bucket missions were conducted using Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), enabling firefighting operations to continue safely in difficult mountainous terrain and low-visibility conditions.
