Fire incidents—both forest fires and house fires—continue unabated across the country, causing a huge loss of life and property. At least two people died in Dhading while hundreds of people have been displaced in several districts during the past 24 hours.

A total of 37 houses and sheds were destroyed when wildfires entered settlements in ward 6 of Purbakhola Rural Municipality and wards 4 and 5 of Rampur Municipality in Palpa on Wednesday evening. As many as 26 houses and sheds were ravaged by a fire in Heklang settlement in ward 6 of Purbakhola.

According to Dhan Bahadur Gharti, chairman of ward 6 of Purbakhola, the fire from a local community forest entered Heklang settlement and destroyed the houses and sheds. The forest fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon and spread to the settlement in the evening. Several fires are still raging in various forests.

“The forest fire entered the settlement due to strong winds. Several domesticated animals were also burnt to death in the incident,” said Gharti.

Similarly, forest fires swept into the settlements in ward 4 and 5 of Rampur Municipality, destroying 11 houses and sheds. “A massive fire in Ramche Community Forest destroyed a huge amount of property. Fires are still raging in the forest areas in Ramche, Dharmashala and Gabudanda community forests,” said Ramu Rana, chief of ward 4 of Rampur.

In Dhading, an elderly couple died when fire destroyed a house at Ghattekhola in ward 5 of Thakre Rural Municipality on Wednesday. According to the District Police Office, Tej Bahadur Lama and his wife Thuli Lama, both aged 70, died in the incident. The incident occurred at around midnight.

“The cause of the fire is still unknown. The villagers learnt about the incident at around 11pm on Wednesday and informed the Police Post in Hapsechaur,” said Santa Bahadur Tamang, chairman of ward 5 of Thakre. According to him, only the elderly couple had been staying in the house.

In Solukhumbu district, fire destroyed 10 houses in separate incidents at Panchan Lusku and Chiurikharka villages in ward 3 of Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality on Wednesday. According to the District Police Office in Solukhumbu, three houses were destroyed in Panchan Lusku while seven houses were burnt to ashes in Chiurikharka.

The houses of Buddhimaya Charmakar, Purna Bahadur Adhikari and Hastimaya Rai in Panchan Lusku and the houses belonging to Parasmani Rai, Badu Suwa Rai, Uttar Kumar Rai, Bidur Kumar Rai, Nisan Rai and Tika Dhwaj Rai were destroyed by the inferno.

Meanwhile, fire-displaced people at Chimati in ward 1 of Mahadeva Rural Municipality in Saptari district are still without any help. The fire victims are living under the open sky and without enough food. Among the most affected by the elements are the elderly people, nursing mothers and children.

A total of 120 houses belonging to 62 families were burnt to a cinder at Yadav tole, Musahar tole and Sardar tole in ward 1 of Mahadeva on Tuesday.

“All the belongings and some cash that my husband sent from India were destroyed in the inferno. I could not salvage food and clothes. How can we live now?” said Sonila Sada of Chimati. Her husband is currently in Punjab, India, for work.

Sonila’s two sons were asleep when the fire broke out in the settlement. She safely rescued the children but could not salvage the belongings. “Some people and organisations distributed some relief materials but they are not enough,” she lamented.