Risk of fire and explosion due to increased electricity demand.
Since the beginning of the year, numerous fires have occurred throughout the country, including Nghe An province, causing significant property damage and greatly impacting people's lives. Notably, the majority of these fires originated from electrical short circuits – a common cause during prolonged hot weather and increased electricity demand.
Fire caused by electrical short circuit.
Recently, at 00:09 on May 5th, a fire broke out at the Phuoc Dung wood workshop on Mai Lao Bang Street, Nghi Phu Ward, Vinh City. Upon receiving the report, the Fire Department quickly arrived at the scene, implemented professional measures, and extinguished the fire promptly, preventing it from spreading to the surrounding area. The initial cause was determined to be an electrical short circuit in the workshop's machinery. Although the incident did not cause any casualties, it destroyed some property and affected the business operations of the facility.
Similarly, at around 6:00 AM on April 13th, a large fire suddenly broke out at a house on Truong Van Linh Street in Vinh City. The flames originated from an electrical pole in front of the house and quickly spread to the awning and fence, creating a column of black smoke dozens of meters high, causing panic throughout the neighborhood.
Ms. Nguyen Thi H., a resident living near the scene, recounted: “I was getting ready to go to the market when I heard a small explosion, followed by intense flames erupting from the power pole. People shouted to each other to bring fire extinguishers to help put out the fire, but it was no use. Luckily, the authorities arrived in time, otherwise the fire would have spread to the entire row of houses next door.”
Although the fire was brought under control after about an hour, significant property damage and electrical infrastructure were caused. The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short circuit at the power pole right in front of the house.
Earlier, at around 1 PM on March 20th, a large fire broke out at the house of Mr. Phan Nhat Bao Viet, residing in Thach Giam town, Tuong Duong district. The house served as both a residence and a business premises. Upon discovering smoke and flames rising from inside, residents quickly assisted in extinguishing the fire and notified authorities. The fire was brought under control at 2 PM the same day. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but all the property inside the house was destroyed. The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short circuit.
According to statistics, since the beginning of the year, Nghe An province has experienced 7 house fires in residential buildings and 3 fires in buildings used for both residential and business purposes, causing damage estimated at approximately 4.6 million VND.
Improve awareness and situational handling skills.
According to statistics, the province currently has 21,843 households using residential buildings for both living and business purposes. To improve the effectiveness of fire prevention and fighting in residential areas and households, especially those combining living and business activities, the Provincial Police Department has advised the People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns to direct the People's Committees of communes, wards, and townships to establish inter-agency inspection teams. These teams are tasked with conducting on-site inspections and simultaneously disseminating information and guiding residents on measures to ensure fire safety.
Currently, 100% of households have been encouraged to create a second escape route; over 21,843 out of 21,843 households have equipped themselves with portable fire extinguishers. Notably, 1,118 fire safety neighborhood groups and 2,190 public fire fighting points have been established in residential areas with high fire risk.
However, during on-site inspections, authorities also discovered many worrying shortcomings in fire safety measures in residential areas. Most commonly, houses are built in a narrow, cramped, and closely spaced manner, failing to maintain safe fire-fighting distances. A large proportion of these buildings lack alternative escape routes and are not equipped with effective fire-spread prevention solutions.
Although the primary cause of fires has been identified as electrical malfunctions, public awareness of fire prevention remains limited. Regular inspection and maintenance of electrical systems are not given sufficient attention. Many dangerous habits are still common, such as using old electrical wires, plugging too many devices into a single outlet, not turning off electrical devices when not in use, charging electrical devices overnight, and not installing overload and leakage protection devices.
Notably, the trend of renovating and converting residential houses into business premises is becoming increasingly common and openly practiced, yet fire safety management for this type of property remains inadequate. For houses combining residential and commercial use, the risk of fire and explosion is even higher due to the large quantity of furniture and goods placed close to electrical and heat sources. Furthermore, many households even stack goods in a way that completely blocks walkways and escape routes. If a fire occurs, the flames can spread rapidly, causing serious consequences and hindering access for rescue and firefighting efforts.
Most fires occurring today originate from electrical short circuits. To improve prevention effectiveness, authorities will continue to organize awareness campaigns, practical training in escape skills, and guidance on equipping and using on-site fire extinguishing equipment. Simultaneously, they will intensify inspections and consultations on fire safety conditions at individual households and production and business establishments.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Hanh - Deputy Head of the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police
Recently, on April 29, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 11/CĐ-UBND requesting the strengthening of fire safety measures during the hot season. The dispatch clearly states the requirement to promote the role and responsibility of heads of agencies, units, and areas under their charge in directing and implementing fire prevention and control; and to strictly handle cases of lax management and irresponsibility leading to serious fires and explosions.
Nghe An Power Company and Nghe An Power Transmission Company have been instructed to strengthen inspections of electrical systems and equipment to prevent fire safety risks from the power grid. These units will closely coordinate with the Provincial Police to promote awareness and guidance for people, organizations, and businesses on safe electricity use and to promptly warn of potential fire and explosion hazards during peak hot weather periods when electricity demand increases sharply.
However, proactive action from the people remains the key factor. Each household needs to regularly check their electrical system; avoid using multiple high-power electrical appliances simultaneously on the same line; and install automatic circuit breakers to prevent short circuits and fires. In addition, households should equip themselves with sufficient fire extinguishers and fire alarms; and practice emergency response skills to react promptly in the event of a fire.
Authorities also advise that in the event of an electrical short circuit, people should remain calm and follow the correct procedure: immediately cut off the power supply by switching off the main circuit breaker or fuse to limit the risk of fire spreading; quickly shout for help and alert those around. If the fire has already broken out, use a suitable fire extinguisher to put out the fire; absolutely do not use water as it can cause electric shock. If the fire is beyond control, immediately call the Fire and Rescue Police at 114 for assistance.
