KATHMANDU, MARCH 16 Wildfires destroyed over 330 hectares of forest area in Jumla district during the last fiscal year, according to the Division Forest Office. Chief of the office Bharat Budhathapa said fires broke out at 29 different locations, damaging 330.28 hectares of forest. He added that six wildfire incidents have already been recorded this year, burning nearly 100 hectares of forest so far. To prevent further damage, the Division Forest Office has launched a weeklong forest fire control programme in coordination with all three tiers of government and local communities. The office also held an interaction programme with the Forest Security Coordination Committee and other stakeholders to strengthen wildfire control measures. Speaking at the programme, Assistant Chief District Officer Min Bahadur Rawal stressed that community participation is crucial for effective forest conservation and fire control. (With inputs from RSS)