The Indian Air Force began aerial firefighting using a helicopter fitted with a bambi bucket to douse the fire that is continuing for the sixth day in the Madukkarai forest range in Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu state.

The Southern Air Command deployed a Mi 17 V5 helicopter  based on the request from the State government. The IAF team drew water from the Malampuzha dam in neighbouring Palakkad district of Kerala for the operation. The Forest Department said the helicopter made 11 sorties to the free zone. The IAF said more than 20,000 litres of water was dispensed, and two major fire zones were completely addressed. It added that it was closely coordinating with the civil administration to assist in dousing the fire.

The fire was first noticed on a steep and rocky terrain of the reserve forest of the Madukkarai forest in Coimbatore. According to Forest Department officials, the fire burnt dry grasses and bushes that fell downhill.The areas downhill, comprising patches of trees and bamboo clumps, were minimally damaged. The staff, around 300 of them from five forest divisions, struggled to prevent the spread of the fire downhill for the past five days. The Fire and Rescue Services sprayed water in fire-prone areas downhill.