"We are the fire keepers and forest keepers"

We are the Forest Protection Team of the Cong Khanh Forest Management and Protection Station (Hong Linh Protective Forest Management Board). The team has 4 members, of which 2 are from the Hong Linh Protective Forest Management Board, including me, Tran Quoc Son (far left) and Mr. Nguyen Thai Binh (far right). The remaining 2 are Mr. Bui Quoc Giap (carrying a bag) and Mr. Thai Vi, from the urban management force and militia of Dau Lieu ward (Hong Linh town).

Every early morning, at our "field" desk, we start a meeting to assign tasks to members in forest protection and management.

Today, Mr. Nguyen Thai Binh was assigned to guard the fire watchtower, this is a very important task.

The watchtower is located in a position that can best observe the entire forest. Especially at night during the dry season, standing on the watchtower will easily detect fire spots from behind hills or other high-risk areas.

On the watchtower, Mr. Binh will be responsible for monitoring the entire forest area and promptly detecting fire. If detected, he must immediately notify the team members and the command board to deploy people and vehicles to quickly approach and extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading into a fire.

To carry out the task during the peak season, two officers of the Khanh Gate Forest Management and Protection Station, Mr. Binh and I, will take turns on duty in shifts to ensure that there is always someone guarding the hut 24/7. Even when taking a break to drink water, our eyes must continuously "collect data" from the surrounding hills.

Meanwhile, the remaining members will conduct mobile patrols to promptly grasp the current status of the forest.

Patrols are strictly carried out to prevent any risk of forest fires.

In particular, when we detect traces of strangers entering the forest, we must use professional measures to promptly prevent them. At this time, actions such as collecting honey, camping, picnicking... can all be "fire starters" at any time.

The weather was hot and harsh, the patrol route was long, but we always encouraged each other to complete our tasks and make efforts to protect the green color of the forests.

On patrol, we will also clear dry trees, remove potential fire hazards, and repair warning areas for easy identification.

It can be said that propaganda plays an extremely important role and is a top priority in forest fire prevention and control because it contributes to raising awareness, responsibility and correct actions of the community.

The team also has the task of guarding the entrance to Da Bac stream. This is the entrance to the forest, so we guard it strictly, put up a fence, and absolutely do not allow unauthorized people to enter the forest, especially during the extremely hot season.

The team manages nearly 20,000 hectares of forest, mainly pine and acacia forests, which are highly flammable, so when the hot season begins, we strictly maintain our duty and patrol day and night.

Because there are many households and businesses near the forest, in addition to guarding huts and patrolling, we also regularly visit households to promote compliance with forest protection regulations.

Up to now, we have mobilized all households and businesses living near the forest to sign a commitment to comply with forest fire prevention and fighting regulations and participate in supporting forest protection work.

After finishing my work, I returned to the fire watchtower to change shifts with Nguyen Thai Binh. The remaining members would go home after a long day of struggling with the heat. However, we - the forest rangers did not allow ourselves to completely rest, always ready to receive orders at any time if an emergency situation arose.

Entering the hot season until now, the forest area managed by the team is still safe. The vast, rich green of the forest is always a joy and happiness for each of us...

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/chung-toi-la-nhung-nguoi-canh-lua-giu-rung-post288295.html