Massive fire breaks out near Shimla's Boileauganj mental hospital; 1,000 sq ft area affected
Shimla, May 29
A massive fire broke out near the government mental hospital in Boileauganj on Thursday morning, engulfing around 1000 sq ft of land, officials said.
Boileauganj Fire Officer Ramesh Kumar Sharma said the department received information about the blaze at around 10:43 am.
Speaking to ANI, Boileauganj Fire Officer Ramesh Kumar Sharma said, "We got the information at around 10:43 am. The fire had spread around 1000 sq ft of land. We are facing problems as the fire is massive. We are cleaning the route of the fire line to avoid it spreading any faster. We are trying to douse the fire. Let us see how much more time it will take."
Local resident Narendra Kumar said the fire broke out near the government mental hospital and a dog house in the area.
One of the locals, Kumar, told ANI, "There is a government mental hospital near Boileauganj which caught fire long with the dog house nearby. When I came from the village, there was a massive fire. There was a Fire Department and Forest Department at the scene, who doused the fire along with local people. Trees caught fire, and there were also houses in the village."
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a massive forest fire that raged for more than 27 hours in the Kasauli Beat area of Solan district was brought under control following a joint operation by ground teams and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
According to the State Forest Department, the blaze broke out around 1 PM on May 26 and spread across nearly 10 hectares of forest land. Officials classified the incident as a ground fire. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
The firefighting operation was carried out under the state's Incident Response System with coordinated efforts from multiple agencies. Nine personnel from the State Forest Department were deployed to contain the flames in the difficult terrain.
Aerial support from the IAF was pressed into service to assist ground teams in dousing the fire, officials said.
The Indian Air Force was battling a raging forest fire threatening the Kasauli hills in Himachal Pradesh since 1700 hours on Tuesday, officials said on Wednesday.
Four Mi-17 V5 helicopters carried out more than 150 sorties over affected zones, dropping 62,500 litres of water to contain the blaze. The fire had threatened military installations and residential areas in Kasauli.
IAF pilots were drawing water from Sukhna Lake using Bambi buckets, with each sortie carrying 2,000 to 2,500 litres.
Operations have continued day and night, with helicopters conducting NVG-aided night sorties to support firefighting efforts.
Officials said the IAF's intervention has succeeded in extinguishing and controlling the fire. The operation reflects close coordination between the local administration and the IAF under the aid to civil authorities.
Efforts to prevent further spread and protect forests, lives and property were still underway, IAF officials added.
The challenging mountainous terrain, characterised by steep slopes and strong, unpredictable winds, made ground access difficult for local forest fire crews.
While the state has incurred an estimated financial loss of approximately Rs 67 lakh, officials noted that these figures are preliminary and may be adjusted as the forest naturally regenerates post-monsoon.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's heartbreaking to see our forests burning like this. The 10 hectares in Kasauli and now this near Boileauganj—these are the lungs of our country. We need more investment in forest management and fire prevention, not just firefighting. Every rupee spent on prevention saves crores later. 🌲💔
Massive respect to the fire department and local people who stepped up. But honestly, 1,000 sq ft of land on fire and the officer says 'we are facing problems' and 'let us see'—this is not reassuring. We need faster mobilization. Also, the Rs 67 lakh loss figure seems too low; ecological damage is priceless. Hope this is a wake-up call for better disaster preparedness in Himachal. 🙏
Every summer, same story—forest fires in Himachal. The dog house catching fire is so sad, poor animals. I'm glad the IAF helped in Kasauli, but why do we always have to react after the damage is done? We need community awareness programs and fire drills in these areas. Also, climate change is making summers hotter, so this will only get worse if we don't act now.
The coordination between local administration and IAF in Kasauli was commendable—150 sorties and 62,500 litres of water! But let's not forget this is reactive. We need proactive measures like clearing dry undergrowth, creating fire breaks, and using drones for early detection. Also, protecting the mental hospital and residential areas should be top priority. 🏥🔥
K Kavitha C < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.