Fire tolls expanding across country

Kathmandu, May 3: Over 50 flights from Pokhara International Airport were disrupted on Monday and Tuesday due to a dense haze from the forest fires engulfing the surroundings of the airport.

Similarly, an elderly couple tragically died in a fire in Ghattekhola, Purandanda, Thakre Rural Municipality-5, Dhading. Tej Bahadur Lama, 70, and his wife Thuli Lama were caught in the blaze at their home on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the couple had already passed away before the Khanikhola police reached the incident site at 11:30 pm.

The forest fire in Godawari Municipality claimed the lives of two individuals who were attempting to control the blaze on Tuesday. The fire has devastated forests across six wards of the municipality, spreading from its origin in Godawari in Ward No. 3 to Badikhel in Ward No. 4, Lele in Ward No. 5, Tahakhel Jhyaluntar in Ward No. 10, and Tikabhairav in Ward No. 6.

Similarly, three police personnel lost their lives in a forest fire in a community forest in Dolpa.

On Tuesday, a fire engulfed Sanopota village in Roshi Rural Municipality-4 of Kavrepalanchowk, destroying 15 houses and resulting in a loss estimated at Rs. 26.6 million. The fire originated in the community forest near the settlement before spreading to the residential area.

These are only a few incidents of fires for the past few days. The country is grappling with extensive forest fires, surrounding 74 districts across the nation. The blazes have claimed the lives of at least nine individuals and a loss of around Rs. 152 million so far, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA)’s emergency portal

This year's forest fires have destroyed 371 infrastructures and resulted in the deaths of 295 livestock, thus far. In the last 24 hours until 4 pm on May 2 alone, 350 fire incidents were recorded at NDRRM. 

However, there might be more incidents of property loss, livestock destruction, and human casualties, as these figures are based on records from the Nepal Police. Many individuals may lack access to report incidents, or they may not have reported them yet, said Sundar Sharma, a fire expert and Joint Secretary at the NDRRMA.

“We are currently facing a dire situation. At this point, our only recourse is to watch and wait, as we're left with no other viable option,” Sharma expressed.

Reflecting on the severity of the forest fire, he said, the situation was very bad in 2021, but the current scenario is even worse. We never anticipated it to escalate to this extent this year.

Criticizing the government's preparedness, he added, “The government has faltered in its efforts to control forest fires. It has not categorized forest fires as a disaster, leaving us to grapple with this dire predicament year after year.”

In 2021, the country recorded the most extreme forest fires, with blazes erupting in 6,537 locations. However, the following year, in 2022, the number of fire incidents decreased significantly to 1,528 sites. Despite last year's widespread fires, data indicates that this year's occurrences surpass those of the previous year. In 2023, fires were reported in 3,195 places, a figure that has further escalated this year, with 4,114 locations experiencing fires in the first four months alone, according to NDRRMA.

Dr. Dijan Bhattarai, spokesperson for NDRRMA, said that in the face of such a large-scale fire, even the most meticulous preparation may prove useless. Despite the concerted efforts of Nepal Police, Armed Police Forces, and local communities, the fire remains uncontained, primarily due to the absence of rainfall. Control measures are rendered ineffective until precipitation occurs, he added. 

Such incidents occur every four to five years due to the accumulation of forest fuel, including fallen leaves and dried wood. When weather conditions are dry, the risk of forest fires becomes significant, he informed.

Meanwhile, senior meteorologist Min Kumar Aryal, from the Meteorological Forecast Division, said that there is no anticipation of rainfall until Saturday. However, there is a possibility of precipitation throughout the country on Monday, contingent upon the favourable conditions of both the western disturbance and locally developed systems.