Forest fires that started on Wednesday have spread across more than hundred hectares of forestland in the community forests near Tansen, the district headquarters of Palpa. The fire could not be contained until Friday afternoon.

The raging fire has damaged Deurali Community Forest and Bandevi Community Forest. Locals said the fire spread in the forest from the nearby dumping site of the municipality. The untamed fire has threatened Batase and Kailashnagar settlements located near the community forests.

People vented their anger at forest officials’ inaction in containing the fire.

“We are making efforts to contain fire. But the local bodies are not paying attention in containing fires,” said local Dhurba Khanal.

Choplal Giri of Holangdi added, “The raging inferno started three days ago, but no one is bothered to contain the fire on time.”

The District Forest Office is allocated a budget more than Rs500,000 to control forest fires each year. Assistant Forest Officer Mohammad Atiullaha said the DFO had organised awareness programmes to minimise fire incidents a few weeks earlier. The representatives of forest consumer groups also attended the programmes, he said.