Forest rangers in Phu Cat district of central Binh Dịnh province and local people treating vegetation in the local planted forest area. (Photo: VNA) Ina letter issued on June 1, Hoan proposed leaders of the People'sCommittees of the provinces and central-level cities direct local authoritiesand agencies to ensure strict forest fire prevention and fighting,alongside forest inspection and supervision to prevent and fightforest fires and minimise damage caused by forest fires.
Localitieswere asked to check forces, equipment, supplies, and funds for fire forestfighting as well as assign patrol forces to be on duty during the dry hotseason and arrange checkpoints in the areas with a high risk of fire to controlpeople entering and leaving forests.
Thepatrol forces would be responsible for detecting fires and mobilise forcesto extinguish them before they spread widely.
Localitieswere told to prepare plans for moving people out of dangerous areas, ensuringpeople's safety and the safety of property when a forest fire occurs.
Communicationswork must also be enhanced to increase people’s awareness and responsibility inforest fire prevention, while authorities must guide people how to controlthe use of fire in and near forests, especially burning for cultivation.
ThePeople's Committees of provinces and cities were also told to direct agenciesto investigate and strictly handle any law violations relating to forest fires.
Localitiesmust regularly monitor forest fire warning information on the Forest ProtectionDepartment's early fire warning information system at the website kiemlam.org.vn andreport to the department as soon as a forest fire occurs.
TheMinistry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security were asked todevise plans to aid forest fire fighting and mobilise forces and equipment forfire forest fighting upon request.
Intenseheat and dryness have been occurring on a large scale recently, especially inthe central region, so the risk of forest fires is very high in many localitiesand many forests.
Recently,forest fires occurred in the central provinces of Nghe An, Quang Nam, Quang Ngaiand Thua Thien-Hue, causing serious damages to forests and environment, andbadly affecting the lives of people in the areas.
NgheAn province’s Steering Committee for Urgent Issues on Forest Protection andDevelopment, and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting, has warned the risk offorest fires in the province were at alarm levels four and five (i.eextremely dangerous levels) due to a heat wave from May 31 to June 6.
Thecommittee suggested local authorities, forest rangers, and forest owners prepare drasticmeasures for forest fire prevention and control including 24hour-patrol forces and mobile forest rangers to detect and control fires,and strictly forbid the use of fire to clear vegetation or otheractivities that have the potential to cause forest fires.
Theprovince faced fires on June 1 in a forest in Quynh Lap communeand on May 30 in a forest in Dien Loc commune of Dien Chau district. Theexact causes of the fires have yet to be determined.
Alongwith forest fire prevention and control works in forests near residentialareas, provincial authorities have prepared plans to evacuate people out ofdangerours areas.
Meanwhile,forests in the northern province of Ninh Binh are at level three on the firealarm system due to the dry and hot weather, according to head of the Ninh BìnhForest Protection Department, Nguyen Van Duong.
Theprovince has more than 23,740ha of forest, mainly in the districts ofNho Quan, Yen Mo, Gia Vien and Hoa Lu, and Tam Diep city.
Everyyear, after dry spells in winter and prolonged heat in summer, the risk offorest fires was very high, especially forests on limestone mountains in Hoa Luand Gia Vien districts, said Duong.
Iffires began in the forests on limestone mountains, it would be very difficultto extinguish them because fire fighting vehicles would struggle to reachthe fire, he said.
Evenwhen the fire trucks could access such fires, the truck's hose system could notreach high mountain areas and the water cannons would need to be pulled up themountain, he said.
Tostrengthen forest fire prevention and fighting, the provincial ForestProtection Department has directed district and commune authorities to run moreunscheduled inspections to detect violations and forest fire spots./.
VNA
