Shimla, May 28 -- A massive forest fire that raged for more than 27 hours in the Kasauli Beat area of Solan district was brought under control on Wednesday following a joint operation by ground teams and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

According to the State Forest Department, the blaze broke out around 1 PM on May 26 and spread across nearly 10 hectares of forest land. Officials classified the incident as a ground fire. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The firefighting operation was carried out under the state's Incident Response System with coordinated efforts from multiple agencies. Nine personnel from the State Forest Department were deployed to contain the flames in the difficult terrain.

Aerial support from the I...