Efforts to prevent and fight forest fires before "G hour"

Checkpoint 32 is one of seven checkpoints in the 728.8ha cajuput forest in Dong Co hamlet, Vinh Phu commune, Giang Thanh district ( Kien Giang ). This 20-year-old forest is under the management of Regiment 30, Division 4 (Military Region 9). Checkpoint 32 is located in the center of the forest, likened to the intersection of two diagonals of the square forest plot.

From the location of Regiment 30 (Giang Thanh), we crossed a forest road about 5km to reach checkpoint 32. Here, the troops of Regiment 30 are on duty 24/7 to manage, protect and carry out forest fire prevention and control work.

- Comrades, move to forest patrol positions!

Following the command of Major Nguyen Hoang Quan - Captain of Mortar Company 100, Regiment 30, the group of officers and soldiers on duty at post 32 carried out patrolling through the forest. This is a regular and continuous task, which has been strictly carried out by Regiment 30 since the beginning of the dry season in 2024. At the same time, a group of officers and soldiers entered the forest area to clear and remove dry vegetation to limit the risk of fire.

Officers and soldiers of Regiment 30 (Division 4) clear dry vegetation to reduce the risk of forest fires in the area near checkpoint 32.

Late in the afternoon, officers and soldiers of Regiment 30 had a quick meal at the forest guard house. After that, they dispersed their forces, with some groups conducting night patrols on some routes that cut into the core of the forest.

Officers and soldiers on duty at checkpoint 32 have dinner at the forest guard house.

Major Lu Van Tung - Captain of the 12.7mm Company (Regiment 30) was on a mission to observe the forest conditions at night at the top of post 32, at an altitude of over 30m. A few hours earlier, the task of guarding the post was undertaken by Captain Hoang Hiep Nam Trung - a member of the Staff of Regiment 30.

“We are on duty 24/7 at checkpoint 32, watching for smoke during the day and fire at night. Observing at a high, central checkpoint helps us quickly detect situations and incidents, promptly reporting to the leadership of Regiment 30 for handling. This is an important task in the management, prevention and control of forest fires,” Major Lu Van Tung emphasized.

Major Lu Van Tung - Captain of the 12.7mm Company (30th Regiment) on guard duty in the forest at night.

In addition to patrolling the forest, officers and soldiers of Regiment 30 focus on propaganda work and raising awareness for about 100 farming households in the area near the Melaleuca forest. The entire unit is equipped with 5 buoys and 193 coils of hose to promptly handle situations when there is a forest fire.

“Since the beginning of the dry season in 2024, there has been no fire in the forest area managed by Regiment 30 in Giang Thanh district. In the near future, we will increase our patrols, identifying forest fire protection and prevention as a very important task. People should not go into the forest to catch bees or fish at this time because the forest is too dry and fires can easily occur if people are not careful,” emphasized Lieutenant Colonel Truong Van Tan, Deputy Regiment Commander and Chief of Staff of Regiment 30.

Lieutenant Colonel Truong Van Tan - Deputy Regiment Commander and Chief of Staff of Regiment 30 (standing) reports on forest fire prevention and control plans to the Steering Committee for Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue of Kien Giang province.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Truong Van Tan, many forest areas managed by Regiment 30 in Giang Thanh district have been reported to be at level V risk of fire. In the coming time, the unit will arrange officers and soldiers to strictly guard the forest, and at the same time, arrange more human resources and equipment to proactively prevent and fight forest fires. In addition, the forest management unit will continue to focus on cutting canals, digging water storage pits, and bringing water to key areas that are prone to forest fires.

Hon Dat District (Kien Giang) has 3,189.21 hectares of production forest, one of the localities with the largest production forest area in the province. The units currently assigned to manage production forests in Hon Dat District include: Kien Giang Forest Management Board, MDF VRG Kien Giang Wood Joint Stock Company, Hon Dat Agricultural and Forestry Farm, Forestry Farm 422, Division 4 (Military Region 9).

A production forest in Hon Dat district (Kien Giang).

According to Mr. Bui Thanh Liem - Head of Hon Dat Forest Protection Department, the district's production forest areas are at higher risk of fire than coastal protection forest areas, because in production forest areas, drought has a deep impact, people often go in and out of the forest to catch bees, fish, etc., so forest fires are likely to occur. In the dry season of previous years, the situation of production forest fires was quite complicated, causing a regrettable loss of a large area of local forest.

Melaleuca exploitation scene at a production forest in Hon Dat district, managed by MDF VRG Kien Giang Wood Joint Stock Company.

In the dry season of 2024, the Hon Dat District Forest Protection Department proactively developed plans, solutions, and scenarios for more proactive and comprehensive forest fire prevention and control. In that spirit, the Department has coordinated with forest management units and related forces to actively carry out propaganda work on forest fire protection and prevention awareness for people in the forest area.

In addition, the provision of fire-fighting equipment and coordination between protection forces and forest fire prevention and control are carried out very seriously. Since the beginning of the dry season in 2024, there have been no fires in production forests in Hon Dat district.

VRG Kien Giang MDF Wood Joint Stock Company staff on duty at the forest watchtower in Hon Dat district.

VRG Kien Giang MDF Wood Joint Stock Company manages 1,081 hectares of production forest in Hon Dat district. This is the unit managing the largest production forest area in the district.

Since the beginning of the dry season in 2024, the company has focused on setting up dozens of guard posts in the forest area. Equipment and machinery for forest fire prevention and control have been invested in, and many plans and scenarios have been developed to respond if a bad situation occurs.

VRG Kien Giang MDF Wood Joint Stock Company staff discuss forest fire prevention and control plans.

The Nam Thoi Thep Canal checkpoint is located in the production forest of VRG Kien Giang MDF Wood Joint Stock Company, in Thuan Tien Hamlet, Binh Son Commune (Hon Dat). The checkpoint is located in the middle of a deep forest, with weak phone signals and no 3G signal, making communication to coordinate the work of protecting and preventing forest fires difficult. Here, walkie-talkies are a more effective communication tool than smartphones.

Head of Nam Thoi Thep checkpoint Nguyen Van Teo observed and reported on the forest condition.

“Trying to overcome the limitations, we are on duty 24/7. Being a remote area, we consider the guard post our home. Many of us have to stay on duty for more than ten days before we can go home to visit our families. At the peak of the dry season, the company leaders have instructed us to be proactive and ready to carry out the main task of prevention, to prevent forest fires from happening,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Teo - Head of Nam Thoi Thep post.

At the online conference to review fire prevention, fighting, rescue and forest protection work in 2023 and deploy tasks for 2024 held on the afternoon of March 11, Vice Chairman of Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee Le Quoc Anh requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Kien Giang province to proactively advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct all levels and sectors to well implement the responsibility of state management in forest protection and development.

Units, groups and individuals strengthen coordination in organizing the implementation of plans and measures for forest fire prevention and fighting; coordinate propaganda and mobilize people in the area to participate in forest protection and forest fire prevention and fighting.

Kien Giang province currently has 82,652 hectares of forest. Of which, special-use forests are 39,808 hectares, protection forests are 31,457 hectares and production forests are 11,387 hectares. The existing forest area is maintained stably, the forest cover rate in the province in 2023 is 11.78%. The forest area and forestry land distributed in 9/15 districts and cities in the province have been assigned to management units including: U Minh Thuong National Park, Phu Quoc National Park, Kien Giang Forest Management Board, 442 Forest Project Management Board and companies, enterprises, organizations, individuals and households for management and protection.

The Steering Committee for Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue of Kien Giang province inspected forest fire prevention and control work in Hon Dat district.

Head of Kien Giang Provincial Forest Protection Department Doan Van Thanh assessed that this is the time when many forests in the province are moving from low to high fire warning levels.

Forests in Phu Quoc and Giang Thanh have been placed on fire warning level V. This is considered the time before “G hour”, that is, before the peak of the 2024 dry season begins in the next few days.

Kien Giang province has established a provincial-level fire prevention, fighting, rescue and relief steering committee; a district- and city-level fire prevention, fighting, rescue and relief steering committee; and a commune-level forest fire prevention and fighting command committee. The province has completed 205 grassroots forest fire prevention and fighting teams, with 1,862 members.

The Steering Committee for Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue of Kien Giang province directed the forest rangers to strengthen the implementation of regulations on coordination in forest protection and forest fire prevention and fighting with the police, army, militia and military units stationed in the province.

Through this, the province mobilized many forces to participate in forest protection and forest fire prevention and fighting. These forces are the main human resources, accompanying the masses in taking on the responsibility of protecting, preventing and fighting forest fires throughout the province.

Head of Kien Giang Provincial Forest Protection Department Doan Van Thanh (right cover) and the working delegation inspected forest fire prevention and control work in Hon Dat district.

The whole Kien Giang province has arranged 81 stations, posts, and camps, with 470 forces, 71 buoy pumps, 3,500 hose reels; 68 machines and 143 pressure pump reels, 89 shoulder-mounted machines, 45 blowers, 88 transport machine casings... on standby in key forest areas according to the 4 on-site motto.

Forest management units proactively plowed and leveled firebreaks for 623 hectares of forest; built and reinforced 48 dams, 6 water regulation sluices, dredged water storage wells; arranged 56 water tanks (2-12m3 ^of water/tank) in key areas at high risk of forest fires.

The forces have cleared vegetation on 76km of canals, 58km of patrol roads, 30 forest routes with a length of over 24km; dredged 5 water reservoirs in the forest ( ^150m3 of water/hole)...

Since the beginning of the dry season in 2024, the forest rangers in Kien Giang province have coordinated with relevant units and forces to organize 382 patrols with over 1,000 participants. In addition to patrols, the forces have coordinated propaganda and reminded households living along the forest to protect and prevent forest fires.

U Minh Thuong National Park staff patrol the managed forest area.

U Minh Thuong District and Phu Quoc City (Kien Giang) are the two localities with the largest forest areas in the province. U Minh Thuong National Park manages 8,509 hectares of forest; Phu Quoc National Park manages 36,262 hectares of forest, of which more than 6,773 hectares are currently at level V fire risk.

Phu Quoc National Park staff maintain watch, patrol, protect, and prevent forest fires.

Director of Phu Quoc National Park Nguyen Van Tiep said that to proactively respond, the unit has set up many camps, increased equipment, and arranged personnel to be on duty 24/7 in key forest areas with high risk of fire, especially forests in Bai Thom commune (Phu Quoc city).

In addition to stepping up patrols and controls, the force in charge of forest fire prevention and fighting in Phu Quoc regularly develops scenarios to handle forest fire incidents, always being ready to respond when bad situations occur.

Staff of U Minh Thuong National Park practice forest fire fighting plan.

Meanwhile, in U Minh Thuong National Park, most of the water levels in forest areas are still at a fairly high level, and the drought situation has not become as complicated as in many other areas.

“However, we still increase inspection and observation, and equip many specialized machines to proactively prevent and fight forest fires,” said Nguyen Van Cuong, Deputy Director of U Minh Thuong National Park.

HOANG GIAM - THANH DU

Graphics: HOANG GIAM

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