PAANCHTHAR: Three houses have caught fire in Barbhanjyang of Phalelung Municipality-6 on Wednesday evening.

The fire started from the house of Jit Bahadur Meyongba of Barbhanjyang and spread to the houses of Ramjit Rai and Man Bahadur Rai.

According to Khagendra Rai, a local, more than half a dozen shops including the IME office in three houses were gutted in the fire.

Two firefighters from Fidim were called in to help contain the blaze. Barbhanjyang is the center of Phalelung-6. Locals estimate that the fire started due to an electrical short.