The forest fire that put several villages in Wokha district on high alert has been successfully contained on Wednesday after over 48 hours of fierce efforts of the joint team of several departments and volunteers from villages. The fire is suspected to have been sparked by jhum cultivation related activity on March 17, 2025 at around 10:00 am near the border of Humtsoe village. It quickly became uncontrollable, causing concern across multiple villages, including Humtsoe, Elumyo, and Vankhosung.
Though the fire is contained, authorities continue to monitor the situation vigilantly to ensure it does not reignite.
In a statement, L. Jonjibemo Odyou, Assistant Manager for Relief, Recovery, and Mitigation, and Nodal Officer for Wokha District Disaster Management Authority, informed that the fire was reported at around 1:00 PM on March 17, 2025, and the response teams were dispatched by 1:27 PM. These teams included personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), volunteers, and various local departments, including the Police, Urban Development, and Forest Department.
Read more: Wildfire rages near Humtsoe village in Wokha; several villages put on high alert
On the first day of operations, responders managed to control the fire’s direction toward the villages of Humtsoe and Elumyo, but the situation remained critical as the fire advanced towards Vankhosung. Odyuo stated that despite intense efforts to contain the fire, including creating fire lines along roads and deploying volunteers for vigilance, high winds and the vast size of the fire made it challenging to combat. Tragically, the fire crossed a portion of the road, necessitating additional efforts to prevent it from reaching the Vankhosung settlement, he added.
The Officer stated that by midnight, volunteers worked tirelessly to create a fire line near vulnerable areas, and although there was a risk that the fire could have reached the settlement, the wind shifted, and the fire began to move in a different direction. The immediate threat subsided, and teams demobilized by 1:30 am, resuming firefighting operations early the following morning.
On March 18, the fire was further contained, and local villagers from Yikhum and Humtsoe joined in the efforts. The fire was directed towards a more inaccessible area, where human intervention was limited. Recognizing the need for a strategic response, officials identified an agriculture-linked road as a fire line and instructed the villagers to clear dry vegetation along the road to prevent the fire from crossing, he said.
A major concern during the operation was the disappearance of a team member while battling the wildfire. Odyou confirmed that a search and rescue mission was successfully carried out, with the missing person found alive and treated for injuries.
The situation was further complicated when a wildfire was reported in Niroyo village. Odyou and his team conducted an assessment using drones and confirmed that although the damage was significant, the villagers were actively managing the fire by creating counterfires to prevent it from spreading.
Odyou expressed cautious optimism, stating that the fire seemed to be dying down in certain areas and that the actions taken by the villagers had reduced the potential for further spread. However, he emphasized that vigilance remains a priority.
In his closing remarks, Odyou urged the public, especially farmers and village councils, to exercise caution during the dry and windy season when practicing slash-and-burn agriculture. Proper fire management measures must be followed to prevent such incidents in the future.
“We hope the fire will die down and not reignite, but we remain vigilant,” Odyou concluded.
Vineet Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Wokha and Chairman of DDMA Wokha also expressed his gratitude, stating, “I sincerely appreciate the efforts put in by all officers and frontline workers in handling this disaster. By God’s grace, the situation has ended well, and the missing person was safely found. We will continue to review our response protocols to improve for future emergencies.”
The DDMA also expressed their appreciation to all departments, including personnel from the SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, Home Guards Civil Defence, Wokha Forest Department, Wokha police personnels, and volunteers from Wokha and Humtsoe villages, volunteers from Witter Theological College, Vakhosung, village councils, NGOs, and volunteers for their invaluable support during the crisis.
