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A vast expanse of Khonoma Dzükou Valley in Nagaland has been razed down after a major fire erupted in the valley early on the morning of December 12, 2025.
The incident came to light after video clips of fire blazing from the valley surfaced on social media.
Khonoma Dzükou is the Khonoma-side expanse of the Dzükou Valley in Nagaland, accessed from Khonoma village under Kohima district. Known for its wide rolling grasslands, gentle slopes, and seasonal blooms of Dzükou lilies and wildflowers, the area has also become a preserved ecosystem for many years.
“Village guides trekking to the valley sighted the fire from a distance and captured it on video. These guides also saw a few people in the vicinity of the fire,” a member of the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) told Down To Earth (DTE).
He informed that they received the information on Whatsapp around 11.00 am on December 12 morning. The person who shot the video clips in Dzükou might have come back to a location where mobile networks were available and shared the videos. This means the fire may have erupted around 10.00 am or even before that on December 12.
On receiving the news, around 150 guides and youths from Khonoma village were immediately deployed to take stock of the situation and undertake containment measures, the KNCTS member, who is also a tour guide, added.
“According to sources, when the fire initially erupted, four people could be seen near it. But we are not sure who these people are or whether they are locals or otherwise,” the member initially shared.
The individuals were later rescued and admitted having perpetrated the fire. All of them were local male tourists. They had not registered themselves with the local Eco-Tourism Management Committee, the association in charge of managing tourist activities in the area.
The four men admitted upon questioning by village authorities that they had trekked to Dzükou the previous night. They then set up makeshift tents in the ‘core zone’ of KNCTS. ON December 12 morning, they started a fire to cook, which then went out of control and spread.
The fire has raised concerns about the Dzükou valley, home to varied endemic, rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.
In the light of the incident, Kohima district administration on December 12 directed a multi-agency team to undertake immediate reconnaissance and rescue operations to prevent further spread of the blaze.
The team, as per instructions, reached the valley late in the evening and assisted village youths and guides in containing the situation. No fresh fire has been reported as of December 13, although rising smoke is still visible.