Wildfires have damaged 2,303 hectares of forest cover in 13 districts with the onset of summer season this year, according to the Forest Department. 

According to the department, 835 hectares of forest cover was damaged in Okhaldhunga district, 339 hectares in Sindhuli district, 335 hectares in Dhading district, 235 hectares in Dhankuta district, 195 hectares in Taplejung district and 165 hectares in Makwanpur district.

 Forest fires were also reported in Gulmi, Rautahat, Ilam, Morang, Rasuwa and Bhojpur districts.  Dambar Bahadur Bhandari, the department’s assistant forest officer, said wildfires in many places were fuelled due to windy weather condition, causing difficulty for forest workers, security personnel and locals to contain them. 

There has been one wildfire-related casualty this season. Mohan Bahadur Thapa, 69, lost his life  while trying to contain a fire in a forest in Tanahun district. The department said forest fires reported in different parts of the country till date have been taken under control.