A fire engulfed 16 houses in Phedap Rural Municipality-1 of Tehrathum district on Sunday.

The forest fire, which began at around 1 pm, entered the human settlements, reducing houses in five villages to ashes.

Man Bahadur Shrestha, the chair of ward 1, said the fire is still spreading to more nearby villages, adding they are facing challenges in controlling the fire due to the sparse settlement surrounded by forest.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajan Chapagain said a police team has reached the area to contain the fire and is collaborating with locals to tame the inferno.

Chapagain said dense forests and the scarcity of water were hampering efforts to contain the fire.

Police said fire engines were unable to reach the incident site due to a narrow road.

Incidents of fires have been reported across the country with the onset of the dry season. Earlier on Saturday, three children were killed in a fire in Bhojpur.

Experts caution that the likelihood of forest fires is expected to rise this year due to the extended drought period and the buildup of biomass in the wilderness, which serves as abundant fuel. Of particular concern is the absence of younger individuals in rural areas, leaving the elderly and children at a heightened risk of injury and fatalities resulting from forest fires.