Forest Fire Mock Drill in Thano Range

By: Anurag gupta
Dehradun: An inter-departmental forest fire mock drill was dconducted in the Thano Range of the Dehradun Forest Division on Wednesday. The exercise was aimed at assessing preparedness ahead of the forest fire season, with multiple departments demonstrating coordinated disaster response.
At around 11:30 am, a simulated forest fire alert was received through the Forest Fire Mobile App, prompting the fire crew to rush to the site. Reports of road obstruction led to the activation of the Public Works Department to clear the route, while SDRF and NDRF teams were put on alert. Police from Ranipokhari managed traffic and crowd control, and fire services deployed fire tenders to contain the blaze.
Through joint efforts, the fire was brought under control by around 12:15 pm. The drill also simulated injuries to two fire crew members due to sudden flare-ups caused by strong winds. SDRF and NDRF teams rescued the injured and handed them over to the health department, where they were given first aid and shifted to a hospital.
The mock drill saw participation from teams of the revenue, police, fire, health, SDRF, NDRF and Public Works departments. Local representatives, villagers, forest panchayats and self-help groups also took part. A review meeting was held after the exercise, where officials stressed improving coordination and response time. Forest officials said such drills are crucial for ensuring swift and effective action during real forest fire incidents.