Working hard to protect the forest in the hot season

Leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Thanh Hoa Forest Protection Department and Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department inspected forest fire prevention and control work in Nguyen Binh ward.

According to our findings, some forest fires that occurred in the town in previous years were caused by people's carelessness in using fire to treat forest vegetation, burning charcoal, burning votive paper, burning bees, smoking cigarettes and tobacco in the forest. In addition, some individuals, due to personal conflicts arising from the interests of forests and forestry land, intentionally burned forests to destroy each other's property, which is a potential threat of large forest fires...

“To preserve the forest, from the beginning of 2025, Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department has advised the Town Party Committee, the Town People's Committee, the Steering Committee (SC) to implement the target program for sustainable forestry development in the town for the period 2021-2025 to fully and promptly issue documents directing Party committees, grassroots authorities, departments, branches, agencies and units in the area, focusing on implementing Conclusion No. 61-KL/TW dated August 17, 2023 of the Central Party Secretariat on continuing to implement Directive No. 13-CT/TW dated January 12, 2017 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership in forest management, protection and development (BV&PTR); guiding documents of the Government and the province on BV&PTR, forest fire prevention and fighting (PCCCR) to mobilize the entire political system to effectively implement the motto "prevention is the main thing, fire fighting must be timely". timely and effectively”. The Forest Protection Department has reviewed and added nearly 2,000 hectares of key forest fire areas in the field to the forest fire key area map; developed a forest fire fighting plan (CCR), a CCR operation diagram to proactively respond to possible forest fire situations. The focus is on 3 groups of solutions: reducing combustible materials under the forest canopy in key areas; organizing CCR command, patrolling and guarding forest fires; strictly managing the causes of forest fires. Guiding forest owners, including households, individuals, and communities, to develop, review, and supplement specific PCCCR plans that are suitable for reality" - Comrade Nguyen Tran Phuong, Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department, shared.

The Forest Ranger Department has advised local authorities to arrange forces, means and logistics in key areas with high risk of fire so that when detecting and handling situations promptly, implementing the CCR plan according to the "4 on-site" motto. Inspect and promptly detect violations in the field of forest protection management, not allowing "hot spots" of forest fires and illegal logging to occur. Proactively invest in purchasing equipment and tools for participating forces. Strengthen dialogue with the people to remove difficulties and obstacles right at the grassroots level; coordinate to effectively and thoroughly resolve conflicts leading to intentional burning and destruction of forests; investigate, verify and strictly handle acts of intentional destruction of forest resources. Guard forest fires, detect fires early to handle them promptly to prevent large fires from occurring. Organize training courses on the use of fire prevention and control equipment. At the commune level and forest owners, there are 36 teams and groups with 498 people participating in fire prevention and control. In the first 5 months of 2025, Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department coordinated with Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Management Board to proactively handle combustible materials under the pine forest canopy by pre-burning with control over 60.02 hectares; clearing vegetation, reducing combustible materials by 974.6 hectares; clearing vegetation along the runway for 14.25 km. Constructing a new 2.84 km firebreak combined with PCCCR patrol road; repairing 22 km of firebreak built in previous years to serve patrolling, checking forest security, and CCR combat routes when a fire occurs. Through inspection and assessment by the Forest Protection Sub-Department, after pre-burning, 70 - 85% of combustible materials were reduced, thereby reducing the risk of fire during the hot season.

In the town, there are many entertainment and resort areas deep in the forest. On hot days, many people often go into the forest to avoid the sun, especially young people who often gather in groups to camp, visit, bathe in streams, and then organize cooking. Careless use of fire has a high risk of causing forest fires. If a forest fire occurs, it is likely to be a large fire, and firefighting will face many difficulties. In the first months of 2025, the forest rangers have coordinated with relevant units and forest owners to strengthen extensive propaganda in many forms so that cadres and people are aware that forests in the area have great significance for human life, the environment and socio -economic development. The Party Committee, government, functional agencies, forest owners and people in Nghi Son town have synchronously implemented forest protection and fire prevention solutions with the motto of prevention as the main focus, urgent, timely and thorough forest fire fighting, resolute and decisive actions, limiting the possibility of flammable materials catching fire, not allowing fires to spread. The new feature is that Nghi Son town Forest Protection Department has coordinated with schools located in the area and localities to carry out a high point of extensive propaganda so that students understand the great benefits of forests for human life and socio-economic development of the town, raising awareness, sense of responsibility, proactively implementing forest protection and fire prevention regulations...

As a result, in the first months of 2025, Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department directly coordinated with high schools and secondary schools in the area to distribute 5,000 leaflets and propagate proactive forest protection and fire prevention to 3,527 students; coordinated with localities to propagate forest protection and fire prevention to young people and students returning home during holidays and summer. At the propaganda sessions, students listened to officers and forest rangers of Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department highlight the role, significance and importance of forests to the environment and the lives of the community; the harmful effects of forest fires and specific actions to manage, forest protection and fire prevention, and specific understanding of acts that damage forests that are strictly prohibited in the Forestry Law. Students were equipped with basic knowledge about forest protection and fire prevention. Students who have been propagandized have been aware that during the peak of hot weather, the risk of forest fires is high, they need to limit going to the forest for tourism, vacation, bathing in streams and absolutely not use fire to cook food causing forest fires, contributing to raising their sense of responsibility and proactively protecting the forest.

During the peak of the hot weather, Nghi Son Town Forest Protection Department proactively coordinated with forest owners and local authorities to organize 8 forest fire watch posts in Nghi Son Town, including the communes of Tan Truong, Phu Lam, Hai Nhan, Dinh Hai and the wards of Tan Dan, Nguyen Binh, Hai Thuong, Truc Lam. The members assigned to guard are responsible for observing forest fires in the assigned area and neighboring areas to detect forest fires early, control people entering and leaving the forest; bring a blower to promptly extinguish a new fire in the area under their watch; if a fire is detected in another area, it must be promptly reported to other posts and related units to organize inspection and extinguish the fire, not allowing the fire to spread widely. In addition to the fixed posts, the department has assigned staff to be on duty 24/7 at the office; organize patrols and observe mobile forest fires; Inspect key forests, control, and resolutely not allow unauthorized persons to enter the forest during the time of forest fire forecast level IV or higher. Effectively implement the coordination regulations in mobilizing forest fire prevention and control forces; coordinate patrols, inspections, prevention, and strict handling of violations of regulations on forest protection and fire prevention and control. Proactively prepare forest fire prevention and control forces and means when a forest fire occurs.

Currently, the entire forest area of Nghi Son town is growing green and lush; forest security is basically stable. People's awareness of forest protection work has been raised, contributing to protecting the "green lung" for the sustainable development of the industrial town.

Article and photos: Thu Hoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cang-suc-giu-rung-mua-nang-nong-249932.htm