Nghe An province is focusing on clearing undergrowth and creating firebreaks in key forest areas.

Clearing vegetation at historical sites.

In late May, at the King Mai Hac De temple area in Van An commune, dozens of local people, forest protection contractors, and various organizations actively cleared bushes, collected dry leaves, and processed undergrowth beneath the pine forest canopy.

Mr. Tran Van Tinh, who lives near the pine forest area in Van An commune, said: “Pine forests are very susceptible to fire, especially during prolonged hot weather. Therefore, when the local authorities launched a campaign to clear undergrowth, my family proactively participated with the forces to collect dry grass, fallen pine needles, and clear flammable materials under the forest canopy, contributing to reducing the risk of forest fires,” Mr. Tinh shared.

According to Mr. Vuong Hong Thai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Van An commune, the area around the King Mai temple currently has nearly 1,000 hectares of forest, including over 600 hectares of pine forest, making it a key area for forest fire prevention and control in the locality.

From mid-May until now, the commune has coordinated with the Southern Nghe An Protective Forest Management Board, contracted households, and organizations and associations to focus on clearing vegetation on a large scale.

“To date, the entire commune has completed over 30% of the planned work. Besides clearing undergrowth, the locality is also focusing on maintaining and repairing nearly 10 km of firebreaks. It is expected that all items will be completed within the next 10 days to ensure the safety of the pine forest area during the hot season,” Mr. Thai said.

Not only in Van An commune, but also in the area around the tomb of Lady Hoang Thi Loan and Chung Mountain in Kim Lien commune, the work of clearing undergrowth is being carried out vigorously. These are locations that regularly receive a large number of tourists who come to visit and offer incense every day, posing a high risk of forest fires if carelessness occurs in the use of fire or the disposal of cigarette butts.

For the tomb area of ​​Lady Hoang Thi Loan, with a total area of ​​over 48 hectares, including more than 20 hectares of pine forest, the Southern Nghe An Protective Forest Management Board has coordinated with the Nam Dan - Hung Nguyen Forest Ranger Station and the Management Board of the Hoang Thi Loan Tomb Historical Site to regularly maintain patrol and guard forces, collect dry leaves, and clear undergrowth beneath the forest canopy.

Mr. Pham Thanh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Nam Dan - Hung Nguyen Forest Protection Department, said that the unit currently manages an area of ​​9 communes with more than 3,000 hectares of pine forest, many of which are interspersed with or border historical sites.

From the beginning of the year, the unit has coordinated with local authorities, forest owners, and relevant forces to clear over 300 hectares of undergrowth in key areas at high risk of forest fires, as well as patrolling and focusing on forest fire surveillance.

Focus on guarding against forest fires.

In the Quyết mountain area of ​​Trường Vinh ward, there is approximately 56 hectares of mixed pine forest bordering 400 households. Currently, the authorities are also urgently carrying out the work of clearing the undergrowth.

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Thang, Head of the Vinh - Cua Lo Forest Ranger Station, from May 14th until now, the local authorities have mobilized the Youth Union, Women's Association, militia, and forest rangers to clear undergrowth at high-risk fire areas.

“We are focusing on dealing with areas containing large amounts of flammable materials, and at the same time, we are constructing over 800 meters of firebreaks in the Lo Son mountain area, Cua Lo ward. The goal is to create safety zones and prevent the risk of fire spreading if an incident occurs,” Mr. Thang said.

According to Mr. Tran Van Truong, Deputy Head of the Southern Nghe An Protective Forest Management Board, the unit currently manages over 9,200 hectares of forest, including over 5,000 hectares of pine forest. This type of forest has a very high risk of fire under prolonged hot weather conditions.

“Since the beginning of the year, the Board has cleared over 700 hectares of undergrowth and maintained approximately 40 km of firebreaks. From the beginning of May 2026, we continued to clear over 300 hectares of undergrowth in key forest areas. To date, we have completed over 70 hectares and are striving to complete the entire plan before July 15th,” Mr. Truong said.

In addition, fire watchtowers, fire prohibition signs, information boards, and forest fire risk forecast boards have also been invested in, upgraded, and repaired to improve the effectiveness of forest fire warning and prevention.

Given the intense heatwave and the ever-high risk of forest fires, the Nghe An Forest Protection Department has directed its subordinate Forest Protection Units to strengthen their personnel for round-the-clock patrols and fire watch in key areas. They are proactively detecting and promptly handling any situations that could lead to forest fires, contributing to the protection of forest areas in the province.

In the context of predicted extreme weather conditions and prolonged heatwaves, proactively managing undergrowth, reducing flammable materials, and improving firebreak systems are proving effective in forest fire prevention and control.