Fire prevention and fighting in 2025

- The cool days of spring are gradually passing, bringing with them worries about the hot summer and complicated weather. The dry season, hot weather; the need to use fire and electricity increases; while the awareness of people and production and business establishments sometimes decreases. This situation puts a lot of pressure on the professional sector and locality.

In 2024, there were 4,112 fires nationwide, killing 100 people, injuring 89 people, with preliminary property damage estimated at about 657 billion VND and 637 hectares of forest. Of these, there were 48 major fires, 51 fires causing serious human damage (killing 99 people, injuring 89 people); 22 explosions occurred, killing 9 people, injuring 26 people. In An Giang , there were 39 fires in the whole province (including 20 forest fires, an increase of 17 cases compared to the same period in 2023), burning 34 houses, 1 supermarket, 306 market kiosks, more than 61 hectares of forest vegetation, miscellaneous trees, killing 1 person... Total property damage was nearly 20 billion VND. A typical example is a series of forest fires in Tri Ton district, lasting for many consecutive days in April - May 2024.

In addition to the role of local Party committees and authorities, every year, the armed forces (local and units based in the province) develop plans and coordinate to prevent and fight fires, forest fires, and rescue collapsed areas. Nearly 2,000 soldiers and militia promptly mobilized, responded, and helped people overcome the consequences, reducing property damage. “Through monitoring the implementation of the tasks of preventing and fighting fires, forest fires, and rescuing collapsed buildings last year by military units, localities, departments, and branches, a number of limitations have been revealed. Firstly, there are still agencies and units that do not regularly check vehicles, equipment, and materials; and rarely organize drills on fire prevention and fighting plans and strategies. Therefore, when a situation occurs, officers and soldiers are confused in carrying out their tasks. Secondly, vehicles, equipment, and materials are both old and lacking, and have not been purchased to meet requirements. Thirdly, coordination between forces in inspection, patrol, information, and propaganda is sometimes not regular,” commented Senior Lieutenant Colonel Pham Tan Son, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Provincial Military Command.

In 2025, according to the forecast of the Central Hydrometeorological Center, the weather across the country will continue to be hot and dry at high temperatures, with a high risk of explosions and forest fires. People going to the mountains to farm, catch bees...; carelessness in using fire; urban areas, densely populated areas, industrial parks, factories, and enterprises carelessly using electricity... are the leading causes of "inviting fire to visit". At the Conference on coordination in preventing and fighting explosions, forest fires, and rescuing collapses held in January 2025, the Steering Committee on implementing the plan to protect and develop forests at all levels; units under Military Region 9, the Ministry of Public Security , and the Border Guard contributed to completing the coordination plan, ensuring it is suitable for the actual conditions of localities, agencies, and units. In particular, focusing on: Forces, means; expected key areas of explosions and forest fires; current status of equipment to ensure the mission; Difficulties and obstacles in coordinating the implementation of tasks in recent times...

Accordingly, units need to focus on propaganda and education for cadres, soldiers, forces and people to raise awareness of fire and explosion prevention, forest fires, and collapse rescue; protect the safety of agencies, units, and the lives and property of the State and people. Regularly organize drills according to plans and schemes, ensure forces, means, equipment, and materials, and be ready to mobilize to perform tasks when situations arise. During the handling process, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and flexibly apply the "4 on-site" motto, focusing on not causing human losses due to subjective errors, minimizing damage. The local drill steering committee will organize civil defense drills to prevent and fight fires and explosions in 2024, including: Moving localities, police and military forces, and commune-level departments, branches, and organizations into natural disaster and fire situations; preparing for natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue; fire and explosion prevention and control; practicing handling fire and explosion situations, etc.

In Official Dispatch 1368/UBND-KTN, the Provincial People's Committee provides guidance on urgent solutions to strengthen fire prevention and fighting safety conditions for multi-storey houses, multi-apartment houses, and individual houses combining production and business. The District People's Committee shall preside over and coordinate with the Provincial Police to review fire prevention and fighting requirements for existing housing types that cannot meet the requirements of regulations and standards, and implement enhanced solutions in March - April 2025. After the above-mentioned time, if the organization does not implement, it must stop operations until completion.

On November 29, 2024, the National Assembly passed the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue, effective from July 1, 2025. It clearly stipulates a number of principles, such as: Proactively preventing, taking prevention as the main focus; promptly detecting loopholes and shortcomings in fire prevention and fighting and taking remedial measures; identifying fire prevention, accident and incident prevention as a regular task. Prepare forces, means, plans and necessary conditions to promptly fight fires, rescue and rescue. Unify command, operation, promote the role of forces, means and on-site logistics when fires, accidents and incidents occur; prioritize rescuing people and property; all water sources and fire-fighting substances must be prioritized for fire fighting; apply modern science and technology. In particular, all violations of the law on fire prevention and fighting and rescue must be detected, prevented promptly and strictly handled according to the provisions of law.

Everyone should actively learn about knowledge and laws on fire prevention and fighting; safely manage and use fire sources, heat sources and other flammable substances at all times and places; know how to handle fires promptly when they occur... contributing to protecting a peaceful and happy life for yourself and the whole society.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-24-gio/thoi-su/phong-chong-chay-no-nam-2025-a415010.html