Prolonged dry weather has raised forest fire risks to extremely high levelsacross the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment’s Department for Forest Protection.
Fire risks are especiallyhigh in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, which have seen littlerainfall, high temperatures and low humidity during the past months.
Headof the department Ha Cong Tuan said the highest fire risks were in the provincesof An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Kon Tum.
“If fires break out in theseareas, they will spread very fast and it will be extremely difficult to putblazes in forests under control,” said Tuan.
The department has raisedthe fire risk to Level 5, the highest, in the seven provinces of An Giang, CaMau, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Son La. Twelve other provinces, includingBinh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Hoa Binh and Lang Son, have alsobeen warned about the high risk of forest fires.
Tuan blamed the El Ninoclimate system as the main factor in causing prolonged dry weather and raisingaverage temperature by 2 to 3 degrees across the country.
“The problem iscompounded by lower rainfall,” said Tuan, adding that more than 70 percent offorest fires occurred because people practiced
slash-and - burnfarming.
Dry conditions have also plagued the north. On Sunday, the waterlevel of the Red River in the Hanoi areas reached its lowest recorded level, at0.1 metres.
More than 2,000 ha of forest in the U Minh Ha National Parkin the southernmost province of Ca Mau were put under a high fire alert. Another1,000ha would also be on red alert if dry conditions continued for a week.
In the northern province of Vinh Phuc, where dry weather has hit thehardest, nearly 7,000ha of rice fields are withering due to a lack of water.
Deputy Director of the HCM City Fire Service Le Tan Buu warnedagainst underestimating the rising risk of fires in HCM City , despite a slightdrop in the number of fires to break out in the city last year.
“Fireprevention is a top priority and the HCM City Fire Services has requested theSai Gon Water Supply Corporation, to build and upgrade water supply projects forfire fighting,” said Buu.
However, there are not enough of these types ofprojects”./.
Fire risks are especiallyhigh in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, which have seen littlerainfall, high temperatures and low humidity during the past months.
Headof the department Ha Cong Tuan said the highest fire risks were in the provincesof An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Kon Tum.
“If fires break out in theseareas, they will spread very fast and it will be extremely difficult to putblazes in forests under control,” said Tuan.
The department has raisedthe fire risk to Level 5, the highest, in the seven provinces of An Giang, CaMau, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Son La. Twelve other provinces, includingBinh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Hoa Binh and Lang Son, have alsobeen warned about the high risk of forest fires.
Tuan blamed the El Ninoclimate system as the main factor in causing prolonged dry weather and raisingaverage temperature by 2 to 3 degrees across the country.
“The problem iscompounded by lower rainfall,” said Tuan, adding that more than 70 percent offorest fires occurred because people practiced
slash-and - burnfarming.
Dry conditions have also plagued the north. On Sunday, the waterlevel of the Red River in the Hanoi areas reached its lowest recorded level, at0.1 metres.
More than 2,000 ha of forest in the U Minh Ha National Parkin the southernmost province of Ca Mau were put under a high fire alert. Another1,000ha would also be on red alert if dry conditions continued for a week.
In the northern province of Vinh Phuc, where dry weather has hit thehardest, nearly 7,000ha of rice fields are withering due to a lack of water.
Deputy Director of the HCM City Fire Service Le Tan Buu warnedagainst underestimating the rising risk of fires in HCM City , despite a slightdrop in the number of fires to break out in the city last year.
“Fireprevention is a top priority and the HCM City Fire Services has requested theSai Gon Water Supply Corporation, to build and upgrade water supply projects forfire fighting,” said Buu.
However, there are not enough of these types ofprojects”./.
