Dzükou Valley wildfire has spread with flare-ups near Viswema, as Indian Air Force continues aerial firefighting operations.
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KOHIMA — The wildfire in Dzükou Valley has reportedly spread further, with a major flare-up reported above the vehicle dropping point near Viswema on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday, smoke was seen emanating from at least five locations in and around Dzükou Valley. An update on the fire situation for Wednesday was yet to be received at the time of filing this report.
The wildfire entered its 24th day on Wednesday after it broke out on January 26. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) president Zasitsolie Beio told this newspaper on Wednesday that the wildfire is still active and there is a high possibility of it spreading towards the main valley if not brought under control.
He added that a major flare-up was reported above the vehicle dropping point and parking area, which is heavily forested, raising concerns over further spread. Fresh fires were also seen near the base camp along the Jakhama route and at the valley campsite, while Japfü Peak continues to be affected.
Also read: Dzükou wildfire enters 17th day; Mount Japfü now ablaze
“Just when we thought the fire was under control, it has flared up again,” Beio said, adding that it has become financially unviable for the organisation to continue deploying volunteers for firefighting efforts.
However, SAYO volunteers continue to receive daily on-site fire updates and are closely coordinating with the district administration, he said.
The Indian Air Force carried out Bambi bucket operations on Monday and Tuesday, and the operation is likely to continue in the coming days if the fire persists.
The IAF on Wednesday said operations are continuing over Dzükou Valley, with an Mi-17 V5 helicopter drawing water from Padampukhuri Lake in Dimapur to combat the fire near Japfü Peak amid steep terrain, poor visibility and rarefied air.
For several days, surveillance teams comprising the district administration, SDO (Civil) Jakhama, District Disaster Management Authority, Home Guards, SDRF, Forest Department, Fire and Emergency Services, Kohima Police and the Southern Angami Youth Organisation have been manually dousing the fire. However, challenging terrain and weather conditions have hampered firefighting efforts, and manual operations have been temporarily halted while the situation continues to be closely monitored.