The southern province of Tay Ninh, with 60,000 hectares of forests lying along the borderline with Cambodia, has been alerted to the risk of large-scale forest fires as the dry season reaches its peak there.

The locality has been undertaking drastic measures such as building a 92-km fire belt and intensifying around-the-clock patrols.

Local residents were discouraged from going to forests for wood during the time.

The 60,000-ha of forests are grown along the border line with Cambodia and the southern province of Binh Phuoc, and near the residential areas inhabited by ethnic groups. The area is at high risks of wildfires, according to the local Department of Forest Management.

Forest fires have not been reported so far this year in the province.

Besides Tay Ninh, eight other localities nationwide have been alerted of forest fire risk, namely Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, and Son La.

In 2013, nearly 250 fires occurred across the country, destroying 965 ha of forests. No casualties were reported.

The same year, more than 227,000 hectares of land nationwide were covered with trees, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The country aims to raise the rate of forest coverage to 41.5 percent this year.-VNA