The Nepal Weekly 
April 23, 2024
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Subham Gyawali, a resident of Gulmi’s Durbar rural municipality, was celebrating a neighbor’s reception, laughing with friends and family. But the joyous occasion was shattered when thick smoke began swirling over the rooftop. Within moments, the home where generations of his family had lived was reduced to a smoldering pile of ashes. “It was like a nightmare coming to life,” recalled Subham’s mother, Tara Gyawali, her eyes welling with tears.”In the span of an afternoon, we lost everything – our home, our shelter, and inheritance that family had painstakingly built over years of hard work…an estimated 25 to 30 lakhs gone, just like that.”
Just like Subham and his family in Gulmi’s Durbar rural municipality, the residents of Sindunkha and Hadikhola villages of Isma Rural Municipality’s Ward No. 2 endured parallel experiences of loss and despair. The villagers witnessed their homes, livestock sheds, and essential community structures reduced to nothing but ashes. “It was utter devastation,” recounted ward chairperson Loknath Acharya, “17 homes and 27 cowsheds were reduced to piles of ash. 47 domestic animals including Cows, Buffaloes, and Goats which used to be a means of living for the people, were burnt alive in the fire blaze. Yet amid the profound loss, there was a glimmer of relief. Acharya stated,”Miraculously, we didn’t suffer any human casualties.” He confirmed that rescue packages were being distributed to provide essentials for those who lost their homes.
On the same day, wildfires continued widespread destruction across different places. According to District Police Office Information officer DSP Shankar Pokharel, “the forest fire turned 41 houses, 48 cowsheds, 1 shop, 2 mills, 1 tractor into rubbles and caused the death of 83livestock – a heavy price for the residents.” Pokharel explained that the main cause of the spreading of fires from the forests into villages was the strong winds. He added, “The human element compounded the horror – a few alcoholic people deliberately started fires, apathetically putting entire communities indanger.” Pokharel stated sternly, “We’ve identified those responsible for such a reckless act and they will face the full consequences under the law.”
Not only Gulmi district, but the fire blaze has also spread into Palpa, Syangja, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, and many other districts of Nepal. In Arghakhanchi, the fire blaze spread in villages of Bhumikastan Municipality destroyed 20 houses and 23 cowsheds. The families are left with families left with nothing but the ashes of their burnt houses. Palpa, Pyuthan, Rupandehi, and Syangja also have similar tales to tell.
In Achham near the far western border, wildfire even invaded parts of Shuklaphanta National Park, damaging precious ecosystems that nurture endangered species. From the nation’s western Middle Hills to the plains of the Terai, the fire events are creating havoc in the lives of the people.
According to the spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Dr. Dijan Bhattarai, from the start of Nepali New Year (Baisakh 1-9), 208 fire events raged across different districts of Nepal. “The tentative loss from the fire event has already exceeded 12 crore Nepali rupees,” Dr. Bhattarai stated “But the true costs cannot be measured merely in monetary terms.” He recounted the death tolls -5 people sacrificed their lives while trying to extinguish the deadly flames, and more than 17 people sustained injuries in the struggle to protect lives and property within these 9 days.
Over 118 homes are destroyed by the fire, leaving nothing but haunting ashes and rubble. An additional 89 residences were partially damaged, inhabitable for families who are now dealing with rebuilding shattered lives. Even the animal population, a total of 137 domestic animals perished in the blazes. Dr. Dijen Bhattarai confirmed that a total of 410 families have been directly impacted so far. The ripple effects of this wildfire crisis have impacted the lives of hundreds of Nepali families. The wildfire crisis burning across Nepal’s villages has been made worse by very hot temperatures and strong winds fanning the flames. In this extremely dry season, quenching massive fires has become extremely difficult, especially since many communities struggle to access clean drinking water. People who were able to evacuate are now left homeless, with entire families forced to live out in the open, without proper shelter, food provisions, or cooking utensils. These displaced people have lost not just their homes, but all their basic means of living comfortably. Having a hot meal or a safe night’s rest has become an upsetting luxury.
Unfortunately, these devastating wildfires are not a new disaster for Nepal. The frequency and intensity of such fire events have only increased every year, exposing the unpreparedness of all levels of the Nepal government. Many rural municipalities lack fire engines and other critical firefighting equipment, leaving their personnel outmatched against the raging fires. There is also a shortage of skilled firefighting crews specially trained to combat wildfires.
“The Nepal government simply isn’t well-equipped to deal with wildfires of this magnitude,” Dr. Bhattarai acknowledged with exasperation. “We have no dedicated training facilities for firefighters, and all three levels of government lack adequate preparedness.” He stressed the urgent need for a coordinated, multi-pronged strategy between local, provincial, and federal agencies to reduce future wildfire risks. “We must jointly conduct aggressive awareness campaigns to educate the public on the environmental impacts of fires and how to prevent them from starting. Proper firefighter training, equipment allocation, and emergency response protocols must be robustly developed. Failing to do so will only allow this cycle of destruction to continue.”
There are two ways to tackle the problem of forest fires – through prevention and through response efforts after fires have started. On the prevention side, educating and raising awareness among people about the devastating consequences of forest fires can help stop them from occurring in the first place. However, this has become challenging as many people who previously lived in rural areas and relied on forests for their livelihood have now migrated to urban areas. With fewer people maintaining and clearing the forests, they have become overgrown with dry leaves and vegetation, making them more susceptible to catching fire easily. A small spark can quickly escalate into a massive wildfire.
On the response side, the government can work to reduce the impacts of forest fires by strengthening local governments and equipping them properly with the resources needed to extinguish fires effectively. This includes providing local fire crews with firefighting equipment, training personnel, developing emergency protocols, and ensuring they have adequate funds and support to combat wildfires swiftly before they grow out of control. By combining robust prevention efforts through public awareness along with strengthening rapid response capabilities at the local level, the risks and damaging impacts of forest fires can be minimized over time. Both preventive and reactive measures are crucial components of a comprehensive strategy.
The terrible destruction caused by the recent wildfires shows that concerned authorities are unprepared and do not have the proper equipment to fight intense and widespread fires. In just 9 days, over 200 separate fire events happened across many districts. This exposed the severe lack of firefighting resources, training, and emergency plans at all levels of the government. Despite the hard work of local firefighters, entire villages were wiped out – over 100 homes burned to rubble, buildings and infrastructure destroyed. The human impact was devastating, with multiple deaths, injuries, and over 400 families left homeless or without a way to earn a living. Protected forests and national parks were also severely damaged by the unstoppable flames. As stated by Dr. Dijan Bhattarai, the government currently does not have dedicated firefighting facilities, proper equipment, or comprehensive training programs to create an effective force capable of putting out wildfires of this massive scale. Unless urgent action is taken at the local, provincial, and federal levels to fix these major shortcomings, Nepal’s overstretched communities will continue to be no match against the fury of nature’s wildfires for the foreseeable future. Both prevention efforts like public awareness campaigns and strengthening rapid response capabilities at the local level are crucial. Without interventions from all levels of government, the flames will keep mercilessly destroying lives, property, and the environment.
