Arunachal: Mebo Forest Fire Largely Contained After 4-Day Effort
Indian Air Force helicopters carried out 54 water-dropping sorties as multiple agencies and villagers worked together to contain a large forest fire in Mebo.
MEBO- A large forest fire that spread across parts of Mebo Sub-Division in East Siang district was brought largely under control after an intensive four-day aerial firefighting operation led by the Indian Air Force (IAF), supported by multiple government agencies and local volunteers.
The operation began after the Deputy Commissioner of East Siang informed authorities on the night of March 7 about the spreading forest fire and requested helicopter support for aerial firefighting. In response, the Department of Civil Aviation, Arunachal Pradesh coordinated with the Ministry of Defence and the Eastern Air Command, leading to the deployment of IAF helicopters from the morning of March 8.
Officials said the operation began with an aerial reconnaissance of the affected area followed by trial lifting of water. Subsequently, helicopters conducted 54 shuttle operations, lifting approximately 1,62,000 litres of water from the Siang River and dropping it over interior forest areas as well as locations near human settlements.
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Authorities described the operation as one of the most intensive aerial firefighting exercises undertaken by the Indian Air Force in the region.
The aerial operation was supported on the ground by teams from the district administration, Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of Disaster Management, and the Department of Civil Aviation, along with personnel from Sigar Military Station.
Additional support came from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, units from neighbouring districts, and a team from the Assam Fire and Emergency Services. Community participation also played a key role, with Aapda Mitras, village volunteers and Gaon Buras assisting in efforts to prevent the fire from spreading towards residential areas.
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According to official estimates, the fire affected around 140 hectares of reserve forest and nearly 200 hectares of community forest, agricultural and horticultural land in areas including Sigar, Ralling and Mebo under the Mebo subdivision.
Despite the scale of the fire, authorities confirmed that no human casualties or livestock losses were reported.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also requisitioned on March 10 as a precautionary measure in case the situation escalated further.
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The Government of Arunachal Pradesh expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Air Force for their role in controlling the fire. Officials noted that this was the second instance in 2026 when IAF helicopter support was sought by civil authorities to douse forest fires, the first being in the Mepsoro region of Papum Pare district in February.
Authorities said continuous monitoring through drones and ground surveillance had been maintained during the operation. As of Thursday, aerial firefighting operations have been suspended after heavy rainfall in East Siang district significantly reduced the fire, while ground teams remain on alert to prevent any further spread.
Officials described the operation as an example of coordinated disaster response involving the armed forces, government agencies and local communities.
