Nilgiris wildfire burns 5000 acres for days as crews fight on foot in high winds

Published on 28 April 2026

Aerial firefighting was paused by fierce winds

A fast-moving wildfire in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris has spread across about 5,000 acres over more than ten days, with 500-plus personnel battling it in difficult terrain. Strong winds forced authorities to halt aerial firefighting, leaving crews to fight mostly on foot. The fire is threatening ecologically sensitive areas, including wildlife zones and ancient elephant corridors.

Wildfire has scorched around 5,000 acres in the Nilgiris
Over 500 personnel are battling the blaze in tough terrain
High winds stopped aerial firefighting, increasing reliance on manual efforts
Fire threatens wildlife areas and elephant corridors

#forest fire #wildfire #tamil nadu #wildlife #nilgiris

Read the full story at The Economic Times

This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on The Economic Times

Nilgiris wildfire burns 5000 acres for days as crews fight on foot in high winds

The full experience is on mobile.