Banke forest fire affects 4,500 hectares of land

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Apr. 29: Forest fires have erupted in fourteen community forests, including two block forests, within the Banke district, impacting approximately 4,500 hectares of land, as reported by the Division Forest Office, Banke. 

The Acting Chief of the office, Sushil Subedi, stated that fires have been ongoing in various forests across the district for the past week, resulting in damage to more than 4,500 hectares. He cautioned that these fires are now endangering wildlife habitats in the affected regions and noted that efforts to contain the blazes are still underway.

According to Subedi, the fires have impacted forests such as Shamsherganj Mathema block forest, Bhuvar Bhawani block forest, Jhijhari Women’s Community Forest, and Rapti Peedit Gulri Community Forest, among others. While some fires in peripheral areas have been brought under control, those burning in remote forest regions and higher terrains remain challenging to contain.

The office has reported that a tractor with a capacity of 2,000 litres of water, along with a fire response team comprising fourteen members, has only been able to address fires near highways. Subedi said that limited manpower and resources have impeded the prompt control of the fires, resulting in increased damage and further spread.

Banke encompasses approximately fifty thousand hectares of forest land. Subedi emphasised the urgent requirement for fire engines capable of reaching deeper forest areas to effectively manage such incidents.

He also remarked that prolonged dry conditions have exacerbated fires within forest areas, warning that in the absence of rainfall in the coming days, the situation could be more challenging.

The Division Forest Office has reported implementing awareness programmes and providing training to forest users and community forest officials to aid in the prevention and management of forest fires.