[Bengia Ajum]
DIRANG, 8 Feb: A major forest fire was prevented here in West Kameng district on Saturday evening between the Sapper and Ad-Hoc TST Army camps. According to reports, at around 5:30 pm, a forest fire was spotted by Army sentries on duty.
Soon, a team from the 18 Sikh LI stationed at the Sapper and Ad-Hoc TST camps was deployed to contain the fire. The local administration was also alerted, and additional fire tenders from the civil administration joined the operation.
Army officials engaged the fire on multiple fronts, which helped contain it at an early stage and prevented it from spreading further. The difficult terrain posed a significant challenge during the firefighting efforts.
Local MLA Phurpha Tsering informed that, through coordinated efforts between the Army and the civil administration, the fire was successfully brought under control, preventing further spread and mitigating potential damage to the surrounding forests as well as towards the Ad-Hoc TST camp.
Dirang constantly faces the threat of forest fires. In April 2025, a massive forest fire that broke out in Nadipar near Dirang was brought under control after a gruelling 15 hours of effort involving security forces, the local administration, and residents. The fire, which started near the Nadipar forest, spread rapidly due to strong winds. Personnel from the police, ITBP, and SSB, along with local residents of Dirang and fire tenders from Bomdila, were involved in bringing the fire under control.
