A wildfire that began on Tuesday in the Chisapani Community Forest, located at the border of Khanikhola and Bethanchowk Rural Municipalities, has spread to three additional community forests, remaining uncontrolled for four days.

Originating in Khanikhola-1's Tham Lek, the fire has advanced to the boundary areas of Bethanchowk’s wards 1, 2, 3, and 5. While the fire in Chisapani has subsided on its own, the blaze continues in three other community forests within the Mahabharat mountain range.

In an effort to protect nearby settlements, a Simrik Air helicopter dropped water in high-risk areas such as Ramittedanda and Jwano Thumka in Bethanchowk-2 on Friday. According to Bethanchowk Rural Municipality Chairperson Bhagwan Adhikari, the helicopter carried water from the Nangechaur reservoir in buckets, with each trip delivering 1,000 litres of water. It made 24 trips to extinguish the fire in vulnerable areas.

Despite these efforts, multiple locations, including Setibhir, Bansghari, Ratanchour, Deuralidanda, Harel Danda, Gauri Bhanjyang, Dhutidanda, Narayansthan, and Chyalti remain at high risk.

The fire has spread to the Janajagriti Community Forest, Muldanda Chornde Community Forest, and Bethanchowk Narayansthan Community Forest since Wednesday, according to Chinkaji Shrestha, forest officer and wildfire control focal person at the Kavre Division Forest Office.

“It’s surprising to see wildfires even in winter,” Shrestha said, attributing it to human error. He noted that the rugged terrain poses significant challenges in firefighting efforts. “The fire has reached steep cliffs with no accessible paths, and it may take another two to three days to contain,” he added.

To prevent the fire from spreading to settlements, locals have been instructed to cut trees and clear dry leaves in high-risk areas.

Krishna Bahadur Thapa, division forest chief in Kavre, said that the wildfire, which began on January 22 in the southern part of Chisapani Community Forest, has now advanced northwards. However, the fire’s intensity has slightly decreased in the northern region due to cooler and more humid conditions. He warned that strong winds could still escalate the situation.