(Baonghean.vn) - In just three months, more than 20 fires of unknown origin have occurred, causing great anxiety among residents of Luan Phuong hamlet, Dong Van commune (Thanh Chuong district). Fires have become a constant fear, forcing families in the hamlet to find appropriate ways to cope.
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| Twenty-one fires in three months in Luan Phuong hamlet destroyed many things: houses, cattle sheds, straw sheds, etc., but straw was the most heavily targeted, causing sleepless nights for farmers who didn't dare go anywhere during the day and kept the lights on all night to guard against fire. Children from Luan Phuong hamlet working or studying far away also felt uneasy. |
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| The households with thatched houses, although built completely enclosed except for one small door, were all very cautious, always keeping buckets, basins, water hoses, and iron rakes nearby, ready to put out fires. |
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| Houses with thatched roofs built outdoors, without any cover, have been living in constant fear since the fire. Many have connected water hoses to the haystacks, ready to switch off the water pump at the first sign of a fire. |
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| Some careful households regularly spray water on the straw. According to the locals, they do this for peace of mind, because the straw in some houses' gardens still catches fire in the rain. |
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| Mrs. Le Thi Thu's family moved all flammable materials such as firewood, rice husks, corn husks, etc., from the buffalo shed down to the garden and covered them with tarpaulins to prevent the shed from catching fire. |
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| Many households use metal boats to scoop up water, fill them with water, and place them next to haystacks for months to prevent fires. |
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| Many households that had two or three haystacks in one place, or built them near the road or gate, have organized the relocation of each haystack to different locations or moved them to more secluded places. In the photo, Mr. Nguyen Van Ha's family is cutting down an old tree in the corner of their garden to make space to move the haystack from outside the gate inside. |
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| Many families in the village, fearing that their straw would catch fire and leave them without food for their buffaloes and cows, have moved most of their existing straw to be stored at the homes of relatives in the commune. The photo shows trucks loaded with straw ready to be transported for storage. |
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| Since the fire, some households in the neighborhood have bought car wash machines to use in case of another fire. Car wash machines have the advantage of spraying water strongly, and if one house catches fire, many houses bring their machines, which can quickly extinguish the fire. |
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| Mr. Le Vinh Thien made a gong himself from a piece of scrap iron, but it rang very loudly. When there was a fire, Mr. Thien went around the neighborhood ringing the gong to alert everyone to come and help put out the fire. |
Huy Thu
