Kohima: A wildfire that erupted in the southern stretches of the Dzukou Valley in Nagaland’s Kohima district has led to the evacuation of more than 30 trekkers, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The high-altitude valley was engulfed by the blaze earlier this week, prompting the district administration to launch evacuation and containment measures in coordination with the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO).
Officials said all trekkers stranded in the affected area have been safely brought out, while efforts are underway to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby forest zones.
According to the Kohima District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the fire is believed to have broken out on Monday, though authorities received formal information a day later.
The cause of the wildfire and its precise point of origin are yet to be ascertained.
Deputy Commissioner B Henok Buchem has constituted a special team to carry out reconnaissance, rescue and assessment operations in the affected areas.
Stressing the seriousness of the situation, Buchem said all available resources would be pressed into service, with additional manpower deployed if required.
A DDMA official said an emergency meeting was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon to chalk out further steps to tackle the situation.
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SAYO said it was alerted to the incident on Monday afternoon after volunteers on the ground shared visuals of the fire.
The organisation said its immediate focus was on ensuring the safe evacuation of trekkers and implementing precautionary measures to minimise risk.
As a safety measure, trekking activities to the Dzukou Valley from both the Jakhama and Viswema entry points have been temporarily suspended.
The incident comes close on the heels of a major wildfire in the Khonoma–Dzukou Valley area in December, which had required a coordinated response involving multiple agencies.
