Fires damaged 1,200 hectares of forestland in various community and national forests in Kanchanpur in the past three weeks, according to the District Forest Office. 

The fires affected a majority of the forests near the East-West highway. Around 1,000 hectares of the Laljhadi area was burnt this year.

Locals said fires are still raging in the Bedkot and Bhrahmadev forests. District Forest Officer Shiva Prasad Sharma said they were making efforts to douse the flames with the help of locals and police personnel.