Shimla, May 28: A severe wildfire broke out in the Baluganj area of Shimla on Thursday, threatening the Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center. The flames reached as far as a historic British-era cemetery, causing panic among local residents. Fire department teams and hospital staff worked tirelessly for several hours to control the blaze.
Leading Fireman Ramesh Sharma from the Baluganj Fire Station reported, “We received the fire alert at 10:43 AM. The fire started about half a kilometer from the mental hospital and began spreading towards ISBT. We have been working continuously to extinguish the flames since morning.”
Lattoo Rana, an employee at the Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center, stated, “The fire has been spreading rapidly for the past 4-5 hours. Firefighters and all of us are engaged in trying to put it out.”
Forest department personnel and local residents also joined the rescue efforts, as the area affected by the fire was reported to be quite extensive.
Local resident Narendra Kumar shared, “The fire spread to the dog house near the mental hospital. Trees were ablaze, and the fire reached close to some houses in the village. The fire department, forest officials, and locals are all working together to control the situation.”
Significant damage has been reported in the hospital area and the British-era cemetery. The sight of the flames has caused chaos in the surrounding areas. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries so far.
Fire officials indicated that multiple teams are on-site, and it may take time to fully control the fire. Efforts to extinguish the flames are ongoing.
In Shimla, incidents of wildfires have become common during the hot and dry season. The forest department has urged locals to avoid setting fires in the woods or being careless. The administration is monitoring the situation closely and may call in additional firefighting teams if necessary.
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