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A wild fire burns near the village of Lubhu in Lalitpur district, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, overnight on May 1, 2024. | AFP photo

Firefighters and local residents battled a massive wildfire on the outskirts of Nepal鈥檚 capital on Thursday as the Himalayan republic endures a severe fire season authorities have blamed on a heatwave.

Nepal sees a spate of wildfires annually, usually beginning in March, but their number and intensity has worsened in recent years, with climate change leading to drier winters.