Forest Fire Rages In Nepal

Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) personnel use a local tool to control a raging forest fire on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 21, 2025. Wildfires are common in Nepal during the dry season. Last year, over 5,125 incidents of forest fires are recorded throughout the country between January 1 and June 24. Seventy-four out of seventy-seven districts report forest fire incidents. Fourteen districts see more than 102 forest fire incidents. According to the NDRRMA, Surkhet alone records 328 incidents of forest fire. In Nepal, the forest fire season starts in March and reaches its peak in May. The years 2009, 2016, and 2021 are particularly catastrophic when thousands of forests burn in what officials term 'disastrous years'. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images)