The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday deployed one Mi-17 helicopter to fight raging forest fires in the Madukkarai forest range of the Coimbatore Forest Division.

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"Information was received at HQ Southern Air Command about a forest fire in the Madukkarai Range of Coimbatore Forest Division. At first light on April 16, the Mi-17 V5 helicopter of AF Stn Sulur was pressed into 'Bambi Bucket' operations for dousing the fire," IAF said.
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Meanwhile, the IAF chopper lifted the water in a bucket to douse fire in Nande Gounden Padur forest in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore. "The operation is underway," IAF said.
On Saturday a recce was conducted at the affected areas by a chopper from the Sular Air Force station and frontline staff were deployed at the reserve forest to put out the fire, a district forest officer said.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday a recce was conducted at the affected areas by a chopper from the Sular Air Force station and frontline staff were deployed at the reserve forest to put out the fire, a district forest officer said.
{{/usCountry}}On April 11, the fire was detected in the Madukkarai forest range of the Coimbatore Forest Division after which several efforts are made to douse the fire.