Man uses matches to burn forest, forcing thousands of people to put out the fire in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - Ha Truc was resting on a hammock in his yard when he had the idea to burn down the forest to buy land and plant other trees. Thousands of people had to work hard to put out the fire all night.

Nam Dan forest burned fiercely again, thousands of people fought the fire at night
(Baonghean.vn) - In order to prevent and control the widespread and prolonged fire in Nam Dan, nearly 1,000 people from many forces climbed the mountain to put out the fire at night.
According to the indictment No. 32/ND-VKS dated May 25, 2020 of the People's Procuracy of Nam Dan district, at about 9:45 p.m. on June 28, 2019, Ha Truc was resting on a hammock in his yard when he had the idea of burning down Khe Dot forest in hamlet 2, Khanh Son commune, Nam Dan district with the purpose of buying land and planting other trees.
![]() |
Defendant Ha Truc at trial. Photo: Kim Dung |
Here, Mr. Truc took 5 matches and placed them in the middle of 4 incense sticks, then used the prepared thread to wrap the matches around the incense, lit it and stuck it into the dry grass. When the incense burned to the sulfur, the fire broke out, causing a fierce forest fire.
![]() |
The fire from Khe Dot forest, Khanh Son commune has spread to other hamlets, forcing thousands of people to put out the fire. Photo: Huy Thu |
The forest fire forced the authorities to mobilize thousands of people to put out the fire and save the forest. The total damaged area was up to 569,300 m2.2 causing property damage on land of more than 2.25 billion VND.
Based on the results of the investigation, examination of the crime scene and physical evidence. Considering that the defendant has confessed honestly, repented, voluntarily made amends and compensated for the damages. Considering his personal background as a policy family with contributions to the revolution. Based on the Penal Code: sentenced Ha Truc to 7 years and 6 months in prison.
Regarding civil liability: Pursuant to the Penal Code and the Civil Code, the defendant is required to compensate the victims for damages totaling more than 2 billion VND. The defendant has compensated 250 million VND.