Keep The Blaze At Bay

Incidents of fires and forest fires in Nepal from mid-March to mid-May this year will be higher than those recorded last year, predicts the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Receding winter means our forests are strewn with huge piles of dried leaves, a condition comparable to a tinderbox that could explode into raging wildfire if ignited.     Making matters worse, four conditions – widespread dryness as a result of scant winter rainfall and no chance of one in near future, temperature's relentless rise (February 2024 declared hottest February on record), and onset of windy weather – all combine to form a perfect storm for fire to break out,  spread uncontrollably fast, and engulf everything that comes its way. 

The country is no stranger to wildfires during the dry season. But growing fire incidents have threatened to reverse the progress made in restoring the green cover to over 45 per cent of the country's area. Forests are our valuable assets, which are not only a source of livelihood for many and habitats breathing life into our rich biodiversity, but also one of the best bulwarks against climate change. So we cannot afford to lose this precious thing to fire.

In the last week from March 10 to 17, 168 fire incidents and 70 forest fire incidents have been reported across the country that damaged or destroyed properties worth Rs. 123 million. According to the data of the last 13 years, Kathmandu tops the list of the most fire-prone districts with 1,698 incidents, 61 deaths, and Rs.2.55 billion in lost property. Houses in close proximity in such a densely populated place can create an environment conducive for fire to break out especially devastating there, as has been the case time and again. 

Trailing behind Kathmandu are the districts in the Terai belt, such as, Bara, Sunsari, Rupandehi, Morang and Jhapa, among others. Houses with thatched roofs, a common sight there, are fire hazards. Because of widespread poverty, a good number of our Terai dwellers cannot afford to pay for electricity – a condition responsible for rampant electricity theft there. Stealing electricity through 'cable hooking' is known to be a major contributor to short circuit. Such a house catching a fire through short circuit means fire engulfing all nearby houses in no time.      

In urban settings, catastrophic fire incidents are found to have broken out due to short circuit resulting from malfunctioning heating or cooling appliances. As electricity becomes increasingly available, more and more people are installing air conditions or heaters to beat the extreme heat or cold. Failing to operate them as they should means upping the fire risks. Let's face it, we still lack the institutional knowledge, skills and capacity to deal with fire incidents, as pointed out by one experts. But we can do many things to stay well prepared. 

Humans are responsible for the overwhelming majority of fire incidents. It's high time the measures to stop or prevent them are put in place.  Some of these include equipping the locals in fire-prone areas with fire-fighting tools and fire-dousing skills, as well as creating wet conditions around settlements through artificial ponds. Awareness campaigns are also crucial. Wind fans fires in forests, sheds and houses. The next two months are going to be unusually windy, so extra precautionary measures need to be taken to keep the threat at bay.