Thuan Nam: Strengthening forest fire prevention and control in the dry season

Mr. Dao Che Truong Thao, Head of the Forest Protection Department of Thuan Nam District, said: According to the forecast, the hot and dry weather may last for many months, leading to a very high risk of forest fires. Currently, the entire forest area in the district is in a state of alert level III, which is a level with a high risk of forest fires. To proactively protect forest resources, the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Forestry Development Program of Thuan Nam District has proactively developed a plan and a solution for forest fire prevention and control and synchronously deployed measures to sweep and prevent deforestation in 2025; proactively advised forest owners and People's Committees of communes to develop plans and respond promptly when forest fires occur. In addition, the Forest Protection Department also directed the team of forest rangers and local forest rangers to actively stick to the forest and the people, coordinate with local authorities and functional forces to organize propaganda, patrol and control key forest areas, to detect and strictly handle cases of deforestation for slash-and-burn cultivation, illegal transportation of forest products and forest fire prevention and control; proactively develop timely response plans when forest fires occur; urge forest owners to regularly inspect, monitor and grasp the situation in assigned forest areas; proactively arrange forest fire prevention and control posts at forest owners and directly at communes and villages in forest areas where forest fires often occur. At the same time, coordinate with local functional forces and forest owners to promote propaganda, dissemination,education and guidance for people to be highly vigilant about the use of fire in the dry season and forest fire prevention and control measures; mobilize people to sign a commitment not to burn slash-and-burn cultivation, not to use fire in the forest... as well as forest fire prevention and control work. Since the beginning of the year, the forest rangers have coordinated with forest owners and localities to organize 14 campaigns to disseminate laws on forest protection and forest fire prevention and control and organized the signing of commitments with 402 households living along the forest.

Staff of Tra No Forest Protection Station, Phuoc Ha Commune (Thuan Nam) inspect protected forest areas.

Along with that, the Forest Protection and Forest Fire Prevention and Control Command of Thuan Nam district has inspected forest areas at high risk of fire, to provide guidance on sanitation and removal of flammable materials from the forest. The Tan Giang - Thuan Nam Forest Protection Management Board has also conducted conditional pre-burning of flammable materials in sub-areas 202b, 199, 198... with an area of ​​10 hectares; carried out sanitation work, cleared the boundary with an area of ​​20 hectares; created firebreaks in key areas at risk of forest fires; directed community groups contracted to manage forest protection in communes to organize the clearing of firebreaks in the contracted areas, to limit forest fires. Deployed the construction and installation of propaganda boards, fire prohibition signs, forest fire warning signs, and arranged fire prevention and control teams to be on duty in areas where forest fires frequently occur in localities.

To improve the effectiveness of forest fire prevention and control, the locality has also established 6 commune-level Forest Protection and Fire Prevention Steering Committees; established 17 specialized forest protection and fire prevention teams in localities with forests. In addition, the forest owner unit has also established a Forest Protection and Fire Prevention Command Committee and established 8 specialized forest protection and fire prevention teams of the unit on duty at forest fire management stations. The district Forest Protection Department has also increased the number of forest rangers in the area to coordinate with the People's Committees of communes, core forest protection stations and forest owners to regularly monitor and grasp the situation, organize 24/7 duty in key areas at risk of forest fires; arrange additional mobile forest protection and fire prevention teams along with forest protection and fire prevention stations and community teams to guard and patrol in the communes to promptly detect forest fire incidents.

As a unit managing over 40,931 hectares of natural and production forests, these days, the specialized forest protection force of the Tan Giang - Thuan Nam Forest Protection Management Board is focusing on coordinating with community groups to patrol, control and implement forest protection and fire prevention solutions; organizing 24/7 duty at fire watchtowers and posts, strengthening patrols and controlling people and vehicles entering the forest. Mr. Le Xuan Hoa, Head of the Tan Giang - Thuan Nam Forest Protection Management Board said: The weather is hot and dry, many forest areas of the unit are at risk. To minimize forest damage, since the beginning of the dry season, the unit has proactively developed a forest protection and fire prevention plan suitable to the unit's reality. At the same time, 4 forest protection and fire prevention teams have been established at the command and on duty at the units; Arrange forces, equipment and support tools to areas at risk of forest fires, in order to detect and prevent them in a timely manner, and not let large fires occur. Direct the BVR stations and community groups contracted to BVR to carry out repairs, create fire barriers, and reduce combustible materials under the forest canopy; clear and treat the ground cover before the dry season begins; arrange forces on duty 24/7 in sub-areas where forest fires frequently occur, promptly report fires when detected so that the forces can respond promptly. Coordinate with local forest rangers, local authorities, and BVR community groups to organize propaganda and instruct people not to burn fields and implement fire prevention and control measures...

Thanks to the synchronous implementation of forest fire prevention and control solutions, since the beginning of the dry season, there have been no forest fires in Thuan Nam district, and forest resources in the district have been well protected.

Tien Manh

Source: https://baoninhthuan.com.vn/news/153034p1c30/thuan-nam-tang-cuong-cong-tac-phong-chong-chay-rung-mua-kho.htm