Nghe An: Treating vegetation and preventing forest fires before the hot season

Simultaneously clear vegetation and maintain firebreaks

Workers clear vegetation under the pine forest canopy in Ngoc Son commune, Quynh Luu district (taken on April 10, 2025). Photo: Van Truong

In the Len Ngoi pine forest area, Ngoc Son commune, Quynh Luu district, workers are focusing on processing the vegetation under the pine forest canopy.

Mr. Hoang Tri Thuc - Head of Len Ngoi Forest Protection Management Station said: "Since March 15, we have mobilized forces and machinery to clear the vegetation. Up to now, we have treated more than 250 hectares out of a total of 500 hectares of pine forest. At the same time, we are building firebreaks, expected to be completed before April 30."

According to Mr. Tran Van Son - Head of the Northern Nghe An Protective Forest Management Board, the unit is managing over 1,000 hectares of pine forest. Since the beginning of March, the unit has mobilized human resources, coordinated with households that have contracted the forest to handle the vegetation, and has so far completed over 400/700 hectares. The unit also supports the cost of engine oil, mobilizes forces to build firebreaks, repair watchtowers, install signs... Striving to complete the entire 700 hectares before April 30 to ensure safety during the hot season.

In Yen Thanh district, the Yen Thanh district Forest Protection Management Board is accelerating the treatment of 370 hectares of pine forest. Since March 15, more than 200 hectares have been cleared of vegetation, and 11 km of firebreaks have been completed at key locations. It is expected that the entire forest area will be treated by the end of April.

The pine forest area managed by the Northern Nghe An Protective Forest Management Board has been cleared of vegetation. Photo: Van Truong

Many pine forest areas managed by the commune have not been treated for vegetation.

Currently, many localities still face difficulties in the work of vegetation treatment. A typical example is Dien Chau district, which currently has nearly 5,000 hectares of pine forest but does not have a protective forest management board, leaving the work of vegetation treatment open. A similar situation also occurs in Nam Dan, Hoang Mai town, Quynh Luu and Yen Thanh, when most of the pine forest area managed by the commune has not been thoroughly treated for vegetation, the risk of forest fires during the hot season is always present.

A representative of the provincial Forest Protection Department said: “In order to effectively prevent and fight forest fires, the Department has requested forest owners to focus on treating the vegetation, building and repairing firebreaks. Measures include clearing, safe burning or moving combustible materials out of flammable forests. Up to this point, the whole province has treated over 1,000/2,000 hectares of pine forest vegetation.”

The Northern Nghe An Forest Protection Management Board is ready to prepare fire blowers to prevent and fight forest fires. Photo: Van Truong

Along with the treatment of the vegetation, the authorities will increase inspections of forest owners, ensuring that forest fire prevention and fighting procedures are strictly implemented. Forest owners must build a barrier, arrange forces and fire fighting equipment before burning the vegetation, and absolutely prevent the fire from spreading.

In addition, forest owners are also required to invest in additional forest fire prevention and fighting equipment such as water pumps, fire hoses, watchtowers, warning signs, fire prohibition signs... to proactively respond promptly when a fire occurs.

Many locations in the pine forests in Nghe An are densely covered with vegetation and need to be treated. Photo: Van Truong

However, one of the biggest difficulties at present is that forest fire prevention and control in Nghe An is still facing many difficulties. The whole province currently has 15,476 hectares of pine forests that are susceptible to fire. Each year, only about 2,000 hectares are cleared of vegetation, mainly by the Forest Protection Management Boards. Meanwhile, the remaining 13,000 hectares, mostly managed by communes, have not been handled in a timely manner, causing the risk of forest fires during the hot season to always be high.

The main reason is the lack of funds, because the treatment of 1 hectare of vegetation under the pine forest canopy requires from 3 to 4 million VND. Meanwhile, the budget for forest fire prevention and fighting is still limited, having to be shared among many other items such as purchasing equipment, organizing training, maintaining fire watchtowers and building firebreaks. This makes forest fire prevention and fighting still limited and potentially risky./.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/nghe-an-xu-ly-thuc-bi-phong-chong-chay-rung-truoc-mua-nang-nong-10295022.html