A major forest fire has broken out near the Sigar military station in East Siang district, raising significant concerns as the fire spreads towards nearby defence installations. Officials report no casualties at this time, but the rapidly moving blaze poses a potential threat to essential infrastructure in the area. The fire ignited on Saturday in a forested region adjacent to the military station, prompting immediate deployment of personnel from both the district administration and the Indian Army to control the situation.
Firefighting efforts have faced challenges due to the rugged terrain and dense vegetation, which hinder ground teams from effectively containing the flames. To enhance their response, the state government requested assistance from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for aerial firefighting support. An IAF helicopter was deployed on Sunday to carry out aerial operations, utilizing water from the Siang River to combat the fire.
However, these aerial firefighting operations were temporarily halted on Sunday evening for operational reasons, with plans to resume on Monday morning. In the meantime, ground-based firefighting efforts by local authorities and security personnel remain ongoing in efforts to prevent the fire from spreading further.
