A man sustained burn injuries while trying to put out a fire in a forest in ward 8 of Jiri Municipality on Wednesday.

Tej Bahadur Khatri, 64, from the same ward suffered burns to both hands while battling the fire, according to Police Inspector Shatrudhan Mahato of the Dolakha District Police Office. He is being treated at a local health facility.

The fire, which had spread towards the Thulochaur settlement and Thulochaur Primary School, was contained by security personnel and locals. The fire was brought under control in the settlement area, but efforts to control the blaze in the forest remain ongoing. The municipality’s fire engine was also deployed to assist in containing the fire.

Meanwhile in Palpa, the forest fire raging in the Palpa Sansarkot Danda area for the past three days remains uncontrolled as of Thursday, destroying 168 hectares of forest across four community forests.

According to the Division Forest Office, Palpa, 50 out of 68 hectares of the Lekh Community Forest in Deurali have been ravaged. The Bharekhola Community Forest, spanning 48 hectares, has been destroyed, said Khil Bahadur Tamang, information officer at the Division Forest Office.

Similarly, 60 out of 120 hectares of the Madhuwan Community Forest have been lost to the fire, while 10 out of 39 hectares of the Brindavan Community Forest have been affected. “Geographical challenges and strong winds have made it difficult to contain the fire,” said Tamang. “Apart from protecting settlements, reaching and extinguishing the fire inside the forest is nearly impossible.”

The blaze broke out at 1 pm on Tuesday in the Sansarkot Danda area, spreading across Khyaha of Ribdikot Rural Municipality–1 and Deurali of ward 2. Locals reported that the fire started in Pokhardanda. Ribdikot Rural Municipality Vice-chairperson Kanta Adhikari said strong winds had worsened the situation.

She said that the fire had engulfed forest areas in the northern and southern parts of the road connecting Hartok to Deurali and Khyaha. Dry conditions and deposits on the ground have further fuelled the fire. Firefighters, security personnel, local residents, and elected representatives have been mobilised, said Om Prakash Pokharel, chair of Ribdikot–2.

“Our efforts alone have not been enough,” he said. “If the fire nears settlements, we are using fire trucks and water tankers to protect them.”

Chiranjeevi Pokharel, chair of Ribdikot–1, said that although Pokhardanda in Deurali was at risk on Wednesday evening, it is now out of danger.

The fire has spread from Deurali to the upper part of Arghali in Tansen Municipality-14, but settlements in the area remain safe. The Division Forest Office said strong winds and an electrical short circuit in a transformer caused the fire.