Final article: Resolutely fighting forest fires

(Baonghean)In recent days, the hot weather, high temperatures, and strong southwest winds have caused numerous forest fires across the province. Following the fire that destroyed 2 hectares of eucalyptus forest in Hoang Mai town on May 21st, a forest fire broke out on May 22nd in the border area between Thuong Son commune (Do Luong district) and Cong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district). According to preliminary reports, the fire has burned approximately 10 hectares of pine forest in both Do Luong and Yen Thanh districts... More than ever, every citizen needs to have a high sense of responsibility in preventing forest fires and protecting forests.

Inspect the burning and clearing of undergrowth in the forest area around the tomb of Lady Hoang Thi Loan.

The situation is similar in other forest ranger districts in the area. Advanced and modern forest fire prevention and control measures, equipment, and tools are lacking. Forest fires in Nghe An mainly occur in districts with pine forests such as Nam Dan, Do Luong, Hung Nguyen, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, and Do Luong... These are areas with many important historical and cultural relics, such as Cuong Temple, King Mai's Tomb, Queen Hoang Thi Loan's Tomb, and Truong Bon historical site... Therefore, forest fire prevention and control work needs to be given more attention and investment by all levels and sectors to be upgraded.

Firebreaks - The optimal solution

One of the causes of forest fires is the low level of awareness among some people regarding forest protection. For example, in Nam Dan, recent forest fires have shown that most were caused by humans, and in many cases, people secretly burned forests to "resolve conflicts." Nam Dan's forests border several districts with pine forests, such as Hung Nguyen and Thanh Chuong, and the forests are contiguous, so fires spread quickly between communes and districts. Therefore, building firebreaks is very important. Firebreak systems have already been built in the communes, including both white and green firebreaks.

Firebreaks, cleared of trees and at least 12 meters wide, serve to prevent fires and facilitate firefighting efforts. Nam Dan has both vertical and horizontal firebreaks; the vertical ones extend to the mountaintops, while the horizontal ones follow the mountain ranges, strategically placed in key forest areas. At the tomb of Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan, the firebreak is constructed using "green" trees, such as mango and magnolia. These trees are fire-resistant, drought-tolerant, and lack resin, unlike pine, thus not conducting fire. Green firebreaks also prevent ground fires and prevent fires from spreading through the canopy. They also serve as routes for transporting personnel and equipment during forest fires, for patrolling and protecting the forest, and for supporting forestry activities.

Nam Dan district has currently constructed 51 km of firebreaks in most of its communes. Firebreaks are built for every 15-20 hectares of forest, on mountain peaks, slopes, or utilizing streams and ravines. However, annual maintenance of these firebreaks is crucial because without them, trees and vegetation will cover them, significantly increasing the risk of fire spread. Therefore, funding for annual firebreak maintenance needs to be considered. Estimates suggest that maintaining one kilometer of firebreak annually costs approximately 6 million VND, meaning over 300 million VND is needed for maintenance, but this funding has not yet been allocated.

The effectiveness of the model of allocating land and forests to the people.

For over 10 years, Dong Van - Tan Ky has not experienced any forest fires. As a remote mountainous commune in Tan Ky, forests and hills are of paramount importance to the livelihoods of the local people. From the forests, the people of Dong Van plant acacia trees, valuable timber trees, raise livestock, and build farms. Furthermore, the land and forest allocation process has been implemented early and very effectively. 100% of the people have been allocated land for forest protection and have signed commitments with the Tan Ky Protective Forest Management Board to establish legal basis for their rights and obligations. With limited rice paddy land and predominantly hilly and forested land, the people have learned to exploit the potential of the forest for economic development. Mr. Vo Van Phan, from Hamlet 10, Nghia Hanh (Tan Ky), is one of hundreds of households contracted to protect 2 hectares of protective forest, assigned to him by the Tan Ky Protective Forest Management Board.

Mr. Phan planted bamboo and simultaneously harvested secondary forest products in the forest under his protection. Thanks to the establishment of specific forest land allocation records for each commune and household, the Tan Ky forest has begun to green again in recent years. Mr. Kieu Phuong also received hundreds of hectares of forest for protection and established a livestock farm within the forest, achieving high efficiency. The Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Van commune, Mr. Pham Cong Ly, said: With a small area of ​​rice paddies, mainly consisting of hills and forests, the people depend on the forest for their livelihood, so forest protection and fire prevention and control are given priority. Forest fire watchtowers are always staffed 24/7, and the commune's forest fire fighting command always inspects and promptly handles any actions that pose a risk to the forest.

Not only in Dong Van to alleviate the constant worry about forest fires, but also in Hung Yen Nam commune (Hung Nguyen district), in May 2014, the district and commune, drawing on lessons learned from 2013 and summarizing forest fire prevention and control work, established emergency steering committees, assigned specific tasks in forest fire prevention and control, and organized the signing of commitments with households. They granted forest land use rights to 85% of households (102 households), allocating land and forests directly to families for forest management. The commune also signed contracts with forest guarding forces, mainly households, with support from the Forest Ranger Station and the district allocating 400,000 VND/person/month to protect the forest from May to September.

Raising awareness among the people, forest owners, and local authorities.

To make forest fire prevention and control more effective in the future, a crucial issue is raising awareness among people in forested areas about the importance of forests to the environment and household economic development. This is an important solution that may not yield immediate results, but it must be done regularly and continuously, like "a slow but steady rain," combined with administrative and criminal penalties for violations of the Law on Forest Protection and Development. In many places, such as Hung Nguyen and Thanh Chuong, the simple mindset of people burning forests to get grass for cattle, to make grass grow faster, or to collect beehives... needs to be stopped immediately. When the commune and district authorities and functional forces also downplay these activities, people will naturally continue to burn forests without thinking about the consequences.

Besides fire prohibition signs and forest awareness campaigns, relevant authorities need to diversify their communication strategies and invest in forest fire prevention and control. This includes going door-to-door to explain, persuade, and obtain signed commitments and contracts regarding forest protection. Establishing key forest protection forces in each hamlet and commune is crucial for promptly addressing or reporting any actions that harm the forest to the authorities and the Forest Ranger Department. Measures such as training in forest fire prevention and control techniques and forest fire management for specialized forces, forestry management and specialist personnel, contracted forest fire prevention and control forces, and forest owners must be implemented effectively and efficiently, linking them to responsibilities and obligations. Strong and rigorous communication on forest fire prevention and control through media, as well as disciplinary action and criticism against communes and districts with high rates of forest fires, are essential. In addition to raising public awareness of forest fire prevention and control, local authorities also need to improve their understanding of forest protection. In many places, despite having complete plans and organizational structures, forest fires still occur frequently because local leaders have not taken personal responsibility for forest fire prevention and control.

Research into forest fire prevention and control plans in districts, protective forest management boards, and specialized forest fire prevention and control plans in some localities shows that: Where plans are comprehensive, thorough, specific, and practical, demonstrating dedication to the forest and a resolute commitment to fighting forest fires, forest fire prevention and control efforts become effective, easy to implement, and successful in practice. Conversely, where forest fire prevention and control plans are merely reactive, it leads to confusion in fire prevention and control work, and on-site inspections do not reflect the plans. Some communes and districts have established numerous committees, yet forest fires continue to occur. For example, in Thanh Lam commune (Thanh Chuong district), in addition to the 33 members of the commune's Forest Fire Prevention and Control Steering Committee (with the Chairman of the People's Committee as the head), there are also committee members who are village heads, village secretaries, etc. According to the commune's report, although there were 20 forest fires in 2013, "the burned area decreased significantly compared to 2012 and the damage to the forest was insignificant; most fires were investigated but yielded no results." Some people in Thanh Lam believe that entrusting forest protection to the people would be more effective, as the people themselves would be compensated for protecting the forest and have commitments to forest protection.

Chau Lan - Van Truong