KATHMANDU, April 21: Life in the Terai region as well as in the hilly region has been affected due to the lack of rain for a long time. The increasing heat and dry condition has led to growing incidents of fire in various places. 

News reports of livestock, food grains and properties destroyed by infernos have been received from various places. 

A report from Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, stated that a fire spread to nine villages from Rohini Rural Municipality-6 in Rupandehi district last night, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Manohar Bhatta, the spokesperson for the District Police Office, Rupandehi. 

The fire that started from the dry wheat stalks was fanned by winds and it spread to Bishnupura, Parsa, Buchi, Barawa, Tarkulaha, Kotahawa, Chamkipur and Piprahawa. Although there are no human casualties in the fire, 40 houses have been destroyed and 39 goats killed in the fires, he said.

The fire was brought under control in the evening with the joint efforts of the police, the Armed Police Force, the Nepali Army and the locals, using the fire engine of Devdaha Municipality.

Spokesperson Bhatta said fire incidents have been reported from throughout the district. A fire at Gaidahawa Rural Municipality has also destroyed properties worth hundreds of thousands of rupees, he said.

Fire destroys 28 houses and sheds in Gulmi 

A news report from Tamghas, Gulmi, said 28 structures, including houses, shops and cowsheds were destroyed by a fire that spread from a forest in Gulmi district. 

The fire that raged on Friday until Saturday night razed many houses and cowsheds in Isma Rural Municipality's wards 1, 2 and 4, and in Gulmi Durbar Rural Municipality, said Shankar Prasad Pokhrel, the spokesperson for the  District Police Office, Gulmi. 

According to him, the fire that started at the Rani Community Forest at Sindukha, Isma Rural Municipality-2, on Saturday afternoon spread to the settlements. The fire destroyed houses and animal sheds belonging to 15 persons at Hastichaur, killing a dozen cattle.

Similarly, a fire that spread out from the nearby forest has partially damaged the electricity substation at Birbas, Gulmi Durbar Rural Municipality-4 on Friday. Security personnel and locals brought the fire under control and prevented the substation from being fully-destroyed.

The fire has caused damage worth around Rs 20 million to the substation, police said.

Similarly, a news report from Birgunj, Parsa, said a fire that spread from a wheat field across the border in India burnt thatched roof houses and food grains as well as crops of farmers at Bhalamahiya settlement, Chhipaharmai Rural Municipality-1 in Parsa district. The disaster has damaged properties and food grains worth hundreds of thousands of rupees, it is learnt.

It is said the fire started in a wheat field across the border in India at 3.00pm on Saturday and spread to the settlement and burnt the wheat crop, hay, chicken farm and the houses of 15 farmers. The fire caused damage worth more than one million and eighty-four thousand rupees, police said.

RSS