The wildfire that broke out in the border forest areas of China’s Nylam and Khasa regions on Sunday night has been brought under control, but the Tatopani border crossing is yet to resume in full due to lingering risks and technical disruptions.

Although the blaze has largely been contained on the Chinese side, some sections of fire that spread towards Nepal are still smouldering, preventing the full reopening of the Tatopani crossing. The border point, which was partially opened for a single day on Wednesday, has remained closed since, leaving trade and movement stalled.

Nearly 400 containers bound for China have been stranded due to the prolonged closure, heightening concerns among traders and importers.

Ram Krishna Adhikari, chief district officer of Sindhupalchok, said that the Chinese administration had informed Nepali authorities that border operations were not possible because of the fire in the Nylam–Khasa corridor and the Chhobin area.

Inspector Jagat Bahadur Rai of the Kodari Area Police Office said that although the fire in the Nylam–Khasa region had been brought under control, the crossing had not reopened. “The border was opened for one day on Wednesday to bring back vehicles stranded towards the old Khasa market,” he said, adding that around 150 local drivers were allowed to enter China that day.

According to Chinese authorities, only a small portion of the fire remains in the upper forest areas beyond Liping in ward 2 of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality. Efforts are under way to extinguish the remaining flames using helicopters to drop water, Rai said.

Local residents in the affected areas have been temporarily relocated, while cross-border movement continues to be affected as the Chinese customs system has not become fully operational due to the fire. Officials said a decision on resuming regular movement would be taken only after the customs system on the Chinese side is fully restored.

Locals have warned of the risk of the fire spreading further to the upper hill areas above Liping and around Kharani Pokhari. They said flames are still visible in forests near Bagam, a ridge area about a 10-hour walk from the Miteri bridge. Sheep herders in the border areas have also expressed concern that grazing grounds could be destroyed if the wildfire spreads further.

The fire has impacted communication services across the border, while traders say the prolonged closure of the Tatopani crossing has added to their frustrations, with goods worth millions of rupees stuck along roads in Khasa, Nylam and nearby border areas.