Over 5,000 forest fires reported in ten months

KATHMANDU: In the past ten months, Nepal has experienced a total of 5,130 wildfire incidents.

The month of Baisakh alone accounted for 3,270 of these fires, according to statistics from the Department of Forest and Land Conservation.

In the month of Saun, there were no forest fires reported, while Bhadau saw only one incident.

Asoj had three, Kartik five, Mangsir 35, and Poush 103 incidents.

The numbers rose slightly in Magh with 83 fires and significantly in Falgun with 206 incidents.

As the dry season began, the number of wildfires surged, reaching 1,424 in Chait and 3,270 in Baisakh.

By the end of Baisakh, the total number of fire incidents had reached 5,130.

Gobinda Shrestha, an officer at the Department, stated that the primary challenges in addressing the increasing number of wildfires are the lack of resources, adequate preparation, and training.

Effective coordination between government agencies and other stakeholders is essential for fire control.

Sundar Sharma, a wildfire expert, noted that Nepal typically experiences around 2,500 fire incidents annually.

“Eighty percent of fire incidents occur during the four months from mid-Falgun to mid-Jetha,” he added.

RSS