IAF carries out its first night Bambi Bucket firefighting to tackle Kasauli forest fire
Fighting a forest fire near Kasauli (Solan, Himachal Pradesh) in late May 2026, the Indian Air Force for the first time carried out night Bambi Bucket operations using Night Vision Goggles.
Summary
The IAF deployed Mi-17 V5 helicopters to fight a forest fire that spread over nearly 10 hectares in the Kasauli Beat area of Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, after being alerted on 26 May 2026. Helicopters carried 2,000â2,500 litres per sortie from Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh, and discharged more than 93,000 litres in round-the-clock operations. In a first for the IAF, night Bambi Bucket operations were carried out using Night Vision Goggles.
Key facts
- Where
- Kasauli Beat, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh (~10 hectares)
- Helicopters
- Mi-17 V5 (Cheetah for recce)
- Water source
- Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh
- Water discharged
- Over 93,000 litres
- First
- IAF's first night Bambi Bucket operations using Night Vision Goggles
Practice MCQs 2 questions
While fighting the Kasauli forest fire in May 2026, the Indian Air Force achieved which first?
Show answer
Correct answer: D â First night Bambi Bucket operations using Night Vision Goggles
In a first for the IAF, night Bambi Bucket operations were undertaken using Night Vision Goggles.
For the Kasauli firefighting operation (May 2026), IAF helicopters sourced water from which lake?
Show answer
Correct answer: B â Sukhna Lake
Water was sourced from Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh, 2,000â2,500 litres per sortie.