DOTI: A fire destroyed around 1,744 hectares of forest, including community and leasehold, in Doti district on Thursday. According to Forest Officer of the Doti District Forest Office Badri Kumar Karki, the forest fire broke out in 85 community forests, two leasehold forests and other government-owned forests causing huge damages to the forest resources. 'Though efforts are on to take forest fire under control, the forest area is drying up due to long spell of drought and rising temperature', he said, 'It has made it more difficult to douse fire'. There are 366 community forests and 196 leasehold forests in Doti.