Fires at two community forests in Dhankuta have burned through more than 100 hectares of forest land since Saturday evening. The fires at Wagle Community Forest and Chureghati Community Forest had not been contained until late Monday afternoon.

People involved in fire control operation said there is a danger of the flames spreading into the settlements nearby.

Locals and security personnel are working tirelessly to contain the blaze, but their efforts so far seem to have gone up in smoke. 

Rajendra Khadka, the district chairman of Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (Fecofun), said the settlements of Malbase, Thoka, Seule and Amaltar are at great risk.

The extent of damage caused by the fires to the two community forests are not immediately known, he added. Chief District Officer Prem Prakash Uprety claimed that the local administration is doing its best to bring the fires under control.

Forest fires have already destroyed around 1,500 hectares of forest land in Dhankuta this year, according to Fecofun.

Last year, forest fires had destroyed hundreds of hectares of forest land in Pathibhara, Sibhuwa Taklakhara, Hadikharka, Jalkanya, Rudrabari, Bodhe, Patlesanne, Raghutar and Bishranti. A person had also died while trying to put out a forest fire that year. 

Kawahijabdi fire victims get relief

BARA: Province-2 government has provided relief to the fire-affected families of Kawahijabdi in Mahagadhimai Munici-pality-5, Bara. Seven houses were destroyed and 24 others were damaged in a fire that broke out in the settlement on Saturday. There are 195 families living in the settlement. The fire has greatly senior citizens and children. The government provided Rs 16,000 cash, foodstuffs, clothes and other daily essentials to the fire-affected families on Monday.

Fire guts two homes in Udayapur

UDAYAPUR: Properties worth nearly Rs 2 million were damaged when a fire gutted two homes in Udayapurgadhi Rural Municipality-7, Udayapur, on Sunday evening. Police said the fire had started from the kitchen of Hasta Bahadur Sarki’s home before spreading to the house of his neighbour, Mandhoj Sarki. The fire was brought under control by police and villagers.