Nghe An: Forest fire warning at extremely dangerous level.

Pine forest fire in Nam Dan district. Photo: Van Truong

According to the National Center for Hydrometeorology, the weather in Nghe An province from June 14th to June 22nd, 2022 will continue to be intensely hot, with some areas experiencing severe heat and high temperatures, especially in the lowland districts, with temperatures generally ranging from 35-36 degrees Celsius.

Steering Committee for Urgent Issues on Forest Protection and Development, Forest Fire Prevention and Control in Nghe An Province, 2022Forest fire alertIn forest areas of Nghe An province from June 14, 2022 to June 22, 2022: From level IV - dangerous level to level V - extremely dangerous level.

In light of this situation, the Steering Committee for Urgent Issues on Forest Protection and Development, Forest Fire Prevention and Control of Nghe An Province requests the People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns; the Forest Ranger force; and forest management units to focus their efforts and effectively direct forest fire prevention and control work:

1. Strictly implement the regulations in Government Decree No. 156/2018 dated November 16, 2018; Prime Minister's Official Dispatch No. 905/CĐ-TTg dated July 1, 2021 on strengthening urgent measures for forest fire prevention and control; Official Dispatch No. 3249 dated June 1, 2021 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on strengthening urgent measures for forest fire prevention and control; Official Letter No. 243 dated June 10, 2022 of the Forest Protection Department on strengthening forest fire prevention and control; and Directive No. 07 dated March 21, 2022 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province on strengthening measures for forest fire prevention and control in Nghe An province in 2022.

2. Effectively implement forest fire warning systems at fire watchtowers throughout the province, and monitor the forest fire warning information system of the Forest Protection Department. Improve the early warning and forecasting of forest fire risk levels to local authorities, forest owners, and the public to raise awareness and proactively implement appropriate measures for forest fire prevention and control.

Inspecting fire blowers in readiness for forest fire fighting at the North Nghe An Protective Forest Management Board (Quynh Luu). Photo: Van Truong

3. Proactively organize the signing of cooperation agreements on forces and resources with military units and armed forces stationed in the area, in order to unify the mechanism for mobilizing forest firefighting forces in the event of large-scale forest fires.

4. Focus efforts on strengthening forest patrols and inspections, and on forest fire prevention and control. Establish checkpoints at forest entrances to monitor people entering and leaving the forest, and promptly educate and encourage people not to use fire in the forest, which could cause fires to spread.

5. Prevent the burning of fields, plantations, and vegetation to prepare land for reforestation and reduce flammable materials in forests in the area on days with a high risk of fire.Forest fires are at level IV and V.

The dense undergrowth beneath the pine forest canopy in Quynh Tan commune (Quynh Luu district) poses a very high risk of forest fires. Photo: Van Truong

6. When a forest fire occurs, the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the People's Committee of the district, city, or town shall be present at the scene to directly direct and coordinate forces, equipment, logistics, and command firefighting according to the approved plan. For forests near residential areas or warehouses, when a fire occurs, proactive measures must be taken to evacuate people from the dangerous area and to ensure the safety of lives and property for the people and forces participating in forest firefighting.

7. Direct, guide, and inspect the implementation of forest fire prevention and control measures by forest owners and local authorities according to the 2022 Forest Fire Prevention and Control Plan.

8. After extinguishing the fire, we request that the local authorities direct relevant agencies to promptly investigate and determine the cause and perpetrators of the fire, and strictly punish those who violated regulations./.