Straining to fight the "fire" on Ang Toong Pass

Authorities checked and reviewed the remaining fire locations.

On the afternoon of April 15, in the border area between Group 4, Xuat Hoa Ward ( Bac Kan City) and Tan Son Commune (Cho Moi), a forest fire suddenly broke out. The news of the forest fire spread quickly in the community, and people and authorities were immediately mobilized to participate in extinguishing the fire.

Mr. Ban Tien Duong, a resident of Nam Dat village, Tan Son commune (Cho Moi) recounted: “At around 3 pm, people in the commune reported a forest fire. Seeing that the location was close to my forest, I quickly called my brothers in the village, prepared shoes, gloves, brought along the water sprayer I used every day to spray pesticides, and then rode my motorbike into the forest. When we arrived, the fire was already blazing, dry leaves crackling like firecrackers. We followed the edge of the fire, chose a safe place to put it out, and only temporarily retreated at 7 pm.”

The firefighting experience of people like Mr. Duong became a lifesaver in times of danger. The daily water sprayers became more valuable than ever when having to fight the fierce "fire".

Mr. Vy Cong Suat, Chairman of Xuat Hoa Ward People's Committee, said: "The area where the fire broke out is a natural forest, with a thick layer of reeds, vines and dry leaves, causing the fire to spread very quickly. Immediately after the discovery, we mobilized a force of about 100 people to participate in fighting the fire, including Forest Rangers, Police, militia and local people. By 7 p.m., the fire was temporarily controlled. But the remaining embers, combined with wind and dryness, caused some locations to flare up again during the night. The force still had to be on duty, putting out the fire all night, and it was not until 2 a.m. that they could temporarily withdraw."

Xuat Hoa ward authorities and functional forces directed the fire fighting.

The terrain of Ang Toong Pass is extremely dangerous, with steep cliffs and forests growing close to the edge of deep ravines, making firefighting work much more difficult.

Arriving at the scene very early to command the fire fighting work, Mr. Ha Xuan Hai, Captain of the Mobile Forest Ranger and Fire Prevention Team No. 1, had a dirty face. More than today, he always works side by side with his teammates to carry out the task, without a moment of rest, he always reminds his teammates to be urgent but also cautious, to use all professional measures to put out the fire most effectively.

To ensure the firefighting is carried out safely, Mr. Hai said: “We have built a firebreak, as this is a way to limit the spread of fire, and used specialized equipment to approach the fire. However, due to the high and steep terrain, approaching the fire as well as the firefighting process is quite difficult, and there are many different fire locations here.”

Firefighters have been on duty for over a day.

Under the scorching sun, the forest fire fighters had no time to rest. They fought the fire through the afternoon and even into the night, their shirts soaked with sweat, some only had time to quickly drink a glass of water, exhausted in the middle of the forest but still determined not to retreat.

The fire lasted for more than a day, leaving behind a thick layer of ash and the risk of re-ignition as embers still smoldered under the vegetation.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thang, Head of the Bac Kan Provincial Forest Protection Department, said: “The forest fire area has a forestry road, so we used vehicles to reach the fire locations as quickly as possible. The unit mobilized 4 water trucks to the site, using generators and water hoses to extinguish the fire deep in the forest. Flycam equipment was used to determine the exact coordinates, coordinating with walkie-talkies to quickly coordinate forces. This fire fighting was a big challenge but also a valuable lesson in disaster response work.”

In the forest there is a lot of vegetation and reeds so it is very flammable.

On the afternoon of April 16, the fire on Ang Toong Pass was temporarily brought under control, and the extent of damage is being assessed. The fire has been extinguished, but concerns remain as this weather still poses a high risk of fire.

During the dry season, just one careless act like slash-and-burn farming, improper vegetation management or even a small fire while bee hunting can turn into a disaster.

Thanks to the forestry road, some specialized vehicles can reach the fire faster.

Faced with the consequences of fires, the sense of responsibility of the community needs to be raised, especially the awareness of the people. The authorities cannot fight alone, they need support from the awareness and correct actions of each person so that in the future there will no longer be similar forest fires./.

Some images of authorities and people participating in fire fighting on Ang Toong Pass: