Prolonged dry weather has raised forest fire risks to extremely high levels across the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department for Forest Protection.
Fire risks are especially high in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, which have seen little rainfall, high temperatures and low humidity during the past months.
Head of the department Ha Cong Tuan said the highest fire risks were in the provinces of An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Kon Tum.
“If fires break out in these areas, they will spread very fast and it will be extremely difficult to put blazes in forests under control,” said Tuan.
The department has raised the fire risk to Level 5, the highest, in the seven provinces of An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Son La. Twelve other provinces, including Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Hoa Binh and Lang Son, have also been warned about the high risk of forest fires.
Tuan blamed the El Nino climate system as the main factor in causing prolonged dry weather and raising average temperature by 2 to 3 degrees across the country.
“The problem is compounded by lower rainfall,” said Tuan, adding that more than 70 percent of forest fires occurred because people practiced
slash-and - burn farming.
Dry conditions have also plagued the north. On Sunday, the water level of the Red River in the Hanoi areas reached its lowest recorded level, at 0.1 metres.
More than 2,000 ha of forest in the U Minh Ha National Park in the southernmost province of Ca Mau were put under a high fire alert. Another 1,000ha would also be on red alert if dry conditions continued for a week.
In the northern province of Vinh Phuc, where dry weather has hit the hardest, nearly 7,000ha of rice fields are withering due to a lack of water.
Deputy Director of the HCM City Fire Service Le Tan Buu warned against underestimating the rising risk of fires in HCM City , despite a slight drop in the number of fires to break out in the city last year.
“Fire prevention is a top priority and the HCM City Fire Services has requested the Sai Gon Water Supply Corporation, to build and upgrade water supply projects for fire fighting,” said Buu.
However, there are not enough of these types of projects”./.
Fire risks are especially high in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, which have seen little rainfall, high temperatures and low humidity during the past months.
Head of the department Ha Cong Tuan said the highest fire risks were in the provinces of An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Kon Tum.
“If fires break out in these areas, they will spread very fast and it will be extremely difficult to put blazes in forests under control,” said Tuan.
The department has raised the fire risk to Level 5, the highest, in the seven provinces of An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Son La. Twelve other provinces, including Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Hoa Binh and Lang Son, have also been warned about the high risk of forest fires.
Tuan blamed the El Nino climate system as the main factor in causing prolonged dry weather and raising average temperature by 2 to 3 degrees across the country.
“The problem is compounded by lower rainfall,” said Tuan, adding that more than 70 percent of forest fires occurred because people practiced
slash-and - burn farming.
Dry conditions have also plagued the north. On Sunday, the water level of the Red River in the Hanoi areas reached its lowest recorded level, at 0.1 metres.
More than 2,000 ha of forest in the U Minh Ha National Park in the southernmost province of Ca Mau were put under a high fire alert. Another 1,000ha would also be on red alert if dry conditions continued for a week.
In the northern province of Vinh Phuc, where dry weather has hit the hardest, nearly 7,000ha of rice fields are withering due to a lack of water.
Deputy Director of the HCM City Fire Service Le Tan Buu warned against underestimating the rising risk of fires in HCM City , despite a slight drop in the number of fires to break out in the city last year.
“Fire prevention is a top priority and the HCM City Fire Services has requested the Sai Gon Water Supply Corporation, to build and upgrade water supply projects for fire fighting,” said Buu.
However, there are not enough of these types of projects”./.
