Fire Contained in Rautahat Community Forest After 30 Hours of Efforts

Rautahat. A fire that broke out in the forest area of the Samudayik Ban Upabhokta Samuha (Community Forest Consumer Group) in Judibela, Chandrapur Municipality-2, Rautahat, has been brought under control after approximately 30 hours. The blaze, which started on Thursday afternoon, was controlled on Friday evening through the joint efforts of the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, forest workers, and security personnel.

A team from the Nepal Army, along with a fire engine from Narayan Dal Battalion in Gaur, was deployed to the site. Similarly, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Forest Security Team, and employees from the Forest Office were continuously mobilized. According to Hemant Kumar Sah, Chief of the Division Forest Office, Chandranigahapur, the fire was successfully controlled after continuous efforts by the joint team.

The preliminary estimate suggests that more than 8 to 10 thousand cubic feet of Sal logs, stacked in 27 locations, were burned in the fire. This timber was cut in 2076 BS during the expansion of the 400 KV transmission line and was subsequently collected and stored in the same forest area.

Provincial Forest Minister Shankar Chaudhary, Forest Director Jagarnath Prasad Jaiswal, Rautahat CDO Dinesh Sagar Bhusal, Nepal Army Colonel Biswas Bisht, Police Chief (SP) Sitaram Rijal, Armed Police SP Ramhari Adhikari, and National Investigation Department Deputy Director Kumar Budhathoki, among other security officials, visited the site and took interest in controlling the fire.

Division Chief Sah complained that the inactivity of the concerned community forest consumer committee officials was one reason for the delay in controlling the fire. "When any untoward incident occurs in a forest entrusted to the community, the officials of the consumer committee should be the first to take initiative," he said, "but the damage increased due to the lack of proactiveness from the responsible parties in this incident."