House and shed of local destroyed when forest fire spreads to human settlement

By Iman Singh Rana, Rampur, Palpa, Apr.23: A house and shed in Palpa have been destroyed after a forest fire spread in a human settlement.

Police said that the house of local Dil Bahadur Saru has been destroyed in a fire at Juredanda, Bakamalang, Nisdi Rural Municipality-1 on Tuesday. No one was home at the time of the incident, causing the house and shed to be completely engulfed in fire. 

A cow, a buffalo, and 20 goats, including a mother and young calves, were burned to death in the fire.

Police Inspector Kamal Pradhan of the District Police Office, Palpa, said that along with food grains, utensils, clothes, cash worth Rs. 30,000, and jewellery worth 1.5 tola inside the house have been gutted in the fire.

The fire is estimated to have caused more than 2.5 million rupees in damage.

 The fire, which broke out in the forest near the house, spread to the settlement after a strong wind. 

According to the Police station, Keladi, Sagara, the fire initially broke out in a thatched shed and later in a house that was made of straw and zinc.

The fire was brought under control only in the evening with the efforts of the locals.

The victim's family is now taking shelter in a neighbor's house.