Many localities in Nghe An still lack forest fire fighting equipment and supplies.

Hanh Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district, has 7,200 hectares of forest, but only 2 leaf blowers. Photo: Van Truong

Many communes lack firefighting equipment.

In Hanh Lam commune, districtThanh ChuongDespite having a large forest area, the commune lacks most fire-fighting equipment. Mr. Dang Huu Hanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hanh Lam commune, shared: The entire commune has over 7,200 hectares of forest, including 5,700 hectares of natural forest and 1,500 hectares of production forest. The risk of forest fires is very high because there are quite a lot of mixed bamboo and reed forests here.

However, the challenge is that the entire commune only has two blowers, one of which was provided in 2020 and the other in 2014, both of which have malfunctioned, such as being difficult to start or having poor air pressure. The commune also lacks chainsaws and other tools such as fire beaters and protective gear for the forest firefighting force.

In 2021, a forest fire occurred in the commune. While a considerable number of firefighters were mobilized, the effectiveness of firefighting was low due to a lack of equipment. Some teams, lacking proper gear, resorted to breaking branches to extinguish the flames. As a mountainous and disadvantaged commune, we hope to receive government support to purchase additional forest firefighting equipment.

Some forest management and protection stations in Thanh Chuong district lack forest fire fighting equipment. Photo: Van Truong

According to a report by the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong district, the entire district has a fairly large forest area (64,869 hectares), mainly concentrated in the communes of Thanh Duc, Thanh Son, Hanh Lam, Ngoc Lam, Thanh Thuy, Thanh Ha, Thanh Mai, etc. Currently, the entire district has 35 leaf blowers, of which 10 were purchased with support from the province since 2016, and the remaining 25 were purchased by the local government using its own budget for the communes. Currently, 5 communes do not have leaf blowers, and 7 communes do not have chainsaws.

A representative from the Thanh Chuong District Forest Management Unit added: Most of the blowers and chainsaws supplied to the communes are regularly maintained, but due to prolonged use, they are damaged and operate inefficiently.

To proactively manage forest fire prevention and control, Thanh Chuong district has requested support from relevant agencies in the form of over 90 leaf blowers, 150 chainsaws, and other fire-extinguishing equipment.

Dien Chau district, with its large pine forest area, faces a high risk of forest fires, but also suffers from a shortage of firefighting equipment.forest fire fightingIn fact, from 2020-2021, Dien Chau district experienced quite a number of forest fires causing significant damage in the communes of Dien Loi, Dien An, and Dien Phu. While a large number of personnel were mobilized to fight the fires, the lack of fire extinguishing equipment, blowers, and fire beaters meant that when the fires flared up and spread, the forces could only stand by and watch helplessly.

Many pine forests in Dien Chau district have not been cleared of undergrowth, posing a high risk of forest fires, while the communes lack forest firefighting equipment. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Hoang Cong Truong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien An commune, shared: Dien An commune has 320 hectares of pine forest, but currently, the entire commune only has one chainsaw. The commune is having to borrow two leaf blowers from the District Forest Management Unit. When forest fires occur, it will be difficult and unprepared to fight them.

Mr. Le The Hieu, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Dien Chau District, said: Dien Chau District has over 6,000 hectares of pine forest, and the risk of forest fires is very high because most of the undergrowth beneath the pine canopy has not been cleared. Meanwhile, the entire district only has 11 chainsaws and more than 30 leaf blowers, mostly acquired between 2014 and 2016, many of which are damaged or have low power. To ensure effective forest fire fighting, all communes in the district urgently need to be equipped with over 50 leaf blowers and 30 chainsaws.

Blowers were used to prevent the fire from reigniting in a forest fire in Nam Dan district. (Photo: Huy Thu)

More blowers and chainsaws are needed for key pine forest areas.

Investigations have revealed that the lack of specialized forest firefighting equipment and vehicles is one of the main reasons for the significant consequences of forest fires. In many communes with pine forests in the province, despite having developed forest fire prevention and control plans, forest firefighting equipment is almost nonexistent.

Officials and militia forces approach the area needing firefighting and handle the situation themselves based on experience, by breaking branches or using machetes to extinguish the flames. In the event of large fires, these tools are very ineffective at extinguishing them.

Nghe An province has a large area of ​​pine forests, over 16,000 hectares. To respond to forest fire prevention and control, the province currently has 2 fire surveillance camera systems; 180 blowers; 85 brush cutters; 122 chainsaws; 1,610 fire beaters; 2,574 machetes, 2,844 rakes, hoes, and shovels; 26 water pumps, 267 handheld loudspeakers, 1,254 fire-fighting water containers; 715 flashlights; 250 GPS devices; 17 binoculars... to organize firefighting when forest fires occur.

The scene of the forest fire that occurred in Thuong Son commune (Do Luong district) in early May 2023. Photo: Van Truong

A representative from the Forest Protection Department added: Every year, the Provincial People's Committee provides localities with a portion of the funding to support forest fire prevention and control work, such as clearing undergrowth, building firebreaks, and purchasing some equipment such as blowers and fire beaters.

However, forest firefighting equipment is still lacking in many areas. Some districts with large pine forest areas are proposing to the relevant departments to be provided with additional forest firefighting equipment and funding for the installation of fire prevention cameras in their localities.

Currently, the Provincial People's Committee has requested localities to urgently review existing forest fire fighting equipment, determine the required quantity and types, and submit the information to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration and submission to the Provincial People's Committee for decision. In addition to the province providing partial budget support for purchasing forest fire fighting equipment, districts and forest owners also need to proactively integrate funding sources, socialize resources, and invest in additional equipment themselves.

In addition to forest firefighting equipment, attention should also be paid to constructing several transportation routes into key pine forest areas. These routes will serve as firebreaks and facilitate patrols, as well as the transportation of personnel and equipment (fire trucks) to quickly extinguish fires when they occur.

Van Truong