Straining to prevent forest fires.

Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces are entering the peak of the dry season with prolonged periods of hot, dry weather, posing a very high risk of forest fires, with many areas already at alert level V - the extremely dangerous level. In response to this situation, forest owners and local authorities are simultaneously implementing various forest fire prevention and control measures.

Using drones and surveillance cameras.

The Dinh - Thi Vai mountain forest area, covering approximately 3,500 hectares (including Chau Pha commune, Tan Hai ward, and Long Huong ward of Ho Chi Minh City), managed by the Phu My Forest Protection Department, faces a consistently high risk of fire. This area contains over 110 temples and shrines interspersed within the forest, and during holidays and festivals, the number of pilgrims increases significantly, leading to a higher risk of fire from incense burning and votive offerings. Similarly, the Minh Dam mountain forest area, covering over 2,100 hectares and stretching across Long Hai, Phuoc Hai, and Long Dien communes, is also a key area for fire prevention and control…

Adhering to the principle of "prevention is better than cure," from the beginning of the dry season, forest rangers and forest management boards have implemented a series of specific solutions. Clearing undergrowth and creating firebreaks have been carried out simultaneously in key areas; functional forces have intensified patrols and inspections, especially in high-risk areas.

Forest area in Ia Le commune, Gia Lai province, affected by wildfires. PHOTO: HUU PHUC

Mr. Dinh Hai Duong, Head of the Long Hai Forest Management Sub-district under the Ho Chi Minh City Protective and Special-Use Forest Management Board, said that the Minh Dam mountain area has experienced many fires in previous years and is located near tourist areas and people's fields, so the risk of fire spreading is very high.

Meanwhile, at the Phu My Forest Ranger Station (which manages over 12,000 hectares of forest across 15 communes and wards), to improve monitoring efficiency, the unit has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and surveillance cameras at forest entrances to promptly detect early signs of forest fires. In addition, a system of 3 fire watchtowers, nearly 50 water tanks, and a dedicated force are always ready to respond to any incident according to the "4 on-site, 5 ready" principle, ensuring the fastest possible response to any situation.

According to the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), on April 9th, Lam Dong province had 58 communes, wards, and the Phu Quy special zone under a level V forest fire risk warning, and 30 communes and wards under a level IV forest fire risk warning, affecting hundreds of thousands of hectares.

Following officials from the Lam Vien Protective Forest Management Board (Lam Dong province) on a fire prevention and control inspection in the wards of Da Lat, we witnessed firsthand the high risk of forest fires, as the undergrowth has been dry and withered for many months. With 22,109 hectares of forest covering most of Da Lat's area, pine forests make up the majority, providing both shade and scenic beauty, but they are also highly susceptible to fire, thus posing a heavy responsibility.

Establish rapid response teams.

In recent days, under the scorching sun, the dipterocarp forest of Yok Don National Park (Dak Lak province) has entered its harshest period of the year as trees shed their leaves en masse to adapt to the prolonged heat. Under the forest canopy, a thick layer of dry, brittle vegetation covers the area, making even a small spark capable of igniting a large fire. The risk of forest fires in the area is currently at level V.

According to Mr. Pham Tuan Linh, Director of Yok Don National Park, this year is predicted to have prolonged hot weather, so the unit has proactively implemented many forest fire prevention measures such as establishing rapid response teams to handle fires immediately upon detection, deploying forest rangers on duty 24/7 in high-risk areas, clearing undergrowth, and creating firebreaks in key areas, especially focusing on areas bordering forests, cultivated land, and residential areas.

Park officials also regularly organize awareness campaigns, urging people with fields bordering forests to ensure that burning undergrowth is supervised by authorities. Mr. Truong Thanh Ha, acting head of the Gia Lai Forest Protection Department, said that due to the prolonged heatwave, most communes in the western region are at fire risk level V. To prevent forest fires, the Forest Protection Department has assigned leaders to be on duty for forest fire prevention and control to promptly direct, manage, and handle any emerging situations; and is ready to mobilize forces, vehicles, and equipment when a fire occurs.

Under the characteristic dry, hot sun of the South Central coastal region, the forests in Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park (Khanh Hoa province) are entering the most sensitive period of the dry season. At a patrol post in Vinh Hai commune, we observed a bustling atmosphere. From early morning, patrol teams fanned out to inspect areas bordering cultivated fields. By noon, as temperatures rose sharply and the dry, harsh wind blew, the forest rangers could barely take their eyes off the dry forest slopes.

The unit maintains dozens of monitoring points with hundreds of personnel, operating 24/7, while also intensifying patrols, clearing undergrowth, and thoroughly applying the "four on-the-spot" principle to detect and quickly handle fire outbreaks. According to Mr. Nguyen Danh, Head of the Forest Protection Department of Khanh Hoa province, the entire province currently has more than 529,000 hectares of forest and forestry land, of which more than 109,200 hectares of forest are at risk of fire.

Forest fire prevention and control efforts are also being implemented vigorously in Ca Mau. As the unit managing the largest area of ​​forest land (at risk of fire) in the province, with over 23,350 hectares, Mr. Tran Ngoc Thao, Director of U Minh Ha Forestry Company Limited, stated that the company has deployed personnel, vehicles, pumps, and equipment on standby 24/7 in key areas with high fire risk and has fire observation towers. All specialized fire pumps, equipment, and accompanying tools must be in good working order, have sufficient fuel, and be ready to participate in forest fire fighting when ordered.

In An Giang province, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan said that he has requested the forest protection force to mobilize maximum manpower to implement fire prevention and control measures in special-use and protection forests, specifically: plowing firebreaks (creating safe distances to prevent fire spread); reducing flammable materials (collecting dry grass and undergrowth in sensitive areas); controlling sources of fire (strictly prohibiting people from entering the forest to hunt, burning beehives to collect honey, or using fire near the forest edge).

A new development in An Giang's forest conservation efforts is the application of modern technology in management and monitoring. For example, in the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone (which has over 36,000 hectares of forest with complex terrain), forest rangers are coordinating with Phu Quoc National Park to install smart camera systems at strategic high points to identify smoke and unusual heat points, immediately alerting the command center.

An invention to extinguish forest fires in the scorching sun.

At Phong Dien Forestry Company (Hue City) - the unit managing over 2,400 hectares of pine and acacia forests - the company's staff and employees have been tinkering with and modifying existing motorbikes into multi-purpose vehicles.

Accordingly, the motorcycle is reinforced with a sturdy frame capable of handling heavy loads, and then fitted with two large-capacity stainless steel water tanks symmetrically positioned at the rear, along with a high-pressure pump in the middle. In the event of a fire, forest rangers can move the multi-purpose vehicle across complex and treacherous terrain that specialized fire trucks cannot access.

The pump on the vehicle is connected to a system of pipes over 50 meters long to spray water to extinguish the fire. During the firefighting process, water from storage tanks at the edge of the forest is transported by staff using motorbikes or by hand, replenishing the multi-purpose vehicle and promptly extinguishing the fire while it is still small.

In a context where specialized vehicles are not yet fully adapted to the steep, hilly terrain, practical solutions such as multi-purpose motorcycles, water storage tanks near the forest edge, and watchtowers have proven effective in protecting the green lung of Hue City.

VAN THANG

REPORTER TEAM

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cang-minh-phong-chong-chay-rung-post847233.html