‘Wildfires active in 436 locations’

KATHMANDU: Wildfires are raging in 436 locations in 53 districts across the country, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

Sundar Sharma, a fire expert at the NDRRMA, said the fires are spreading due to a prolonged lack of rainfall and windy conditions. “The forest fire situation across the country has become critical. Due to our difficult geography, there are additional challenges in controlling the fires,” he said. “Since there has been no rainfall for a long time, the winds are causing the fires to spread.”

According to Sharma, districts like Kailali, Doti, Salyan, Dailekh and Palpa have been severely impacted by wildfires. Sharma said that Nepal typically experiences around 2,500 forest fire incidents annually.

“About 80% of fire incidents occur during the four-month period between mid-Feb to mid-May. As many as 60 percent of the fires take place between mid-Feb to mid-April. Therefore, we are currently in a high-risk period,” Sharma said.

He emphasized the need to remain vigilant during the period.

According to the Authority, wildfires broke out at 165 locations across 39 districts on Wednesday.

(RSS)