A forest fire that broke out in the Mebo subdivision of Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district has been largely brought under control after several days of coordinated efforts by multiple agencies, including helicopter-assisted operations by the Indian Air Force.The fire began spreading rapidly in the forested areas around Mebo, prompting local authorities to seek urgent assistance. On the night of March 7, the Deputy Commissioner of Pasighat informed higher authorities about the worsening situation and requested immediate intervention as the flames threatened to spread further.Following the request, the Department of Civil Aviation contacted the Ministry of Defence and the Eastern Air Command. Helicopter-based fire-fighting operations began on the morning of March 8.Before starting the water-dropping missions, teams conducted aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas to assess the extent of the fire. Indian Air Force helicopters then began a series of water-lifting operations from the Siang River to control the flames.
Officials said the helicopters carried out 54 sorties and dropped around 1,62,000 litres of water over the burning areas. The water was released in both interior forest zones and locations close to villages where there was a risk of the fire spreading to human settlements. Authorities described the operation as one of the most intensive helicopter-based fire-fighting efforts conducted by the Indian Air Force in recent years.Ground teams also played a key role in controlling the situation. Personnel from the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the Mebo Incident Command, Fire and Emergency Services, and the Department of Disaster Management worked together on the ground. Support was also provided by personnel from the Sigar Military Station. Local communities joined the efforts as well. Volunteers, including Aapda Mitras and villagers led by Gaon Buras, assisted the teams in controlling the fire and monitoring affected areas. Additional support came from the Assam Fire and Emergency Services and the State Disaster Response Force, which deployed resources to assist local authorities.As the fire continued to spread towards settlement areas, authorities requisitioned a team from the National Disaster Response Force on March 10 as a precautionary step in case the situation worsened.
Through coordinated efforts by air and ground teams, officials were able to prevent the flames from reaching residential areas and causing damage to homes and other assets.According to official estimates, the fire affected around 140 hectares of reserve forest and nearly 200 hectares of community forest, agricultural land and horticulture areas across Sigar, Ralling and Mebo.Despite the scale of the incident, authorities confirmed that there were no reports of human casualties or livestock losses. During the operations, teams used drone surveillance and ground monitoring to keep track of the fire and assess the situation. Officials said strategies were adjusted based on weather conditions and the movement of the flames.
