Keep The Blaze At Bay

Incidents of fires and forest fires in Nepal from mid-March to mid-May this year will be higher than those recorded last year, predicts the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Receding winter means our forests are strewn with huge piles of dried leaves, a condition comparable to a tinderbox that could explode into raging wildfire if ignited. Making matters worse, four conditions – widespread dryness as a result of scant winter rainfall and no chance of one in near future, temperature's relentless rise (February 2024 declared hottest February on record), and onset of windy weather – all combine to form a perfect storm for fire to break out, spread uncontrollably fast, and engulf everything that comes its way.