Kavre, January 23
A massive wildfire in the community forest at Thamlekh, located on the border of Khanikhola and Bethanchowk Rural Municipalities in Kavrepalanchok, has gone out of control. The fire, which started around 2 pm on Tuesday, has not yet been brought under control, according to the Kavre District Police Office.
Kavre’s Chief District Officer, Umesh Kumar Dhakal, stated that the rugged terrain of the forest has made it difficult to extinguish the fire. Despite the deployment of teams from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police, immediate control of the fire has not been possible.
Security personnel are closely monitoring the situation to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby human settlements. Dhakal confirmed that preparations are in place to evacuate locals to safe areas if necessary.
Meeting at the forest office
To discuss strategies for controlling the wildfire, a meeting of security chiefs will be held at the District Forest Office in Kavre. Various measures to contain the fire will be explored during the meeting.
An official mentioned that if ground efforts fail to control the fire, a request will be made to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the use of helicopters.
According to Kavre Police Chief Basundhara Khadka, efforts are underway to create a “fire line” with the help of locals to stop the fire from reaching settlements.
The forest fire is currently 3-4 kilometers away from residential areas. Khadka noted that while the situation appeared more alarming on Wednesday night, the intensity of the fire has somewhat reduced by Thursday afternoon.
