Kohima, Dec 14: Aerial firefighting operations are likely to begin on Sunday as a wildfire continued to rage in Nagaland’s picturesque Dzukou Valley for the third consecutive day.

Officials said strong winds are fanning the fire and driving the flames towards the Japfu mountain range, heightening ecological and safety concerns.

The fire, which broke out on Friday, initially affected about 1.3 sq km of forest area.

However, changing weather conditions and gusty winds have caused the blaze to spread further across the rugged and inaccessible terrain, an official of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kohima, said.

The DDMA official further added that following assessment of the fire, the district administration has decided to requisition a helicopter fitted with a “bambi

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