HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Authorities in the Cuu Long(Mekong) Delta have stepped up measures for preventing forest fires during theongoing peak dry season when the threat is high.

In Kien Giang province, more than 41,200ha of forests are underthreat because of extreme hot weather and the drying out of water sources inforests, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development,

Truong Thanh Hao, deputy director of the department, said theforest fire risks are between the third and fifth levels, the latter being thehighest.

The forests facing the highest risk level are in Phu Quoc city andKien Hai district, he said.

The Forest Protection Sub-department, in cooperation withlocalities and forest managers, has regularly organised advocacy activities forforest fire prevention and persuaded nearly 1,000 households living nearforests to sign commitments to combat fires.

It has established more than 170 grassroots fire prevention groupswith more than 1,500 members comprising rangers, forest managers and others.

In Ca Mau, the country’s southernmost province, more than 33,000haof forests are under threat, with 18,200ha designated level five.

Le Van Hai, head of the province’s Forest ProtectionSub-department, said Hon Khoai islands and U Minh district face the highestrisk of fires.

The province has assigned more than 500 forest rangers and managers,employees of the U Minh Ha Forestry One Member Co., Ltd and the U Minh HaNational Park to monitor forests around the clock and take prompt measures incase of fires.

It has also got more than 5,000 local people to stand by forhelping combat forest fires.

An Giang province has identified nearly 7,370ha of forests, ormore than 43% of the total, as facing high risk of fires. They locate mostly inthe mountainous districts of Tinh Bien and Tri Ton and Chau Doc city.

The mountainous localities have many pagodas and temples, and inwhat is the peak pilgrimage time people often burn incense and votive paperofferings which poses a fire risk.

The province has stepped up advocacy among pilgrims about the riskof forest fires whenever they burn anything.

Truong Minh Hung, deputy head of the province’s Forest ProtectionSub-department, said his agency has instructed its staff to monitor forestfires at certain important places.

Besides, authorities in the delta, which comprises 12 provincesand Can Tho city, have prepared more firefighting facilities and stored water. 

Phan Thi Truc Giang, head of Soc Trang province’s ForestProtection Sub-department, said it is important to dredge canals in forests tostore water and facilitate waterway travel to combat fires.

The province has more than 10,200ha of forests, mostly cajuput,but has managed to keep them safe from fires for many years.

Kien Giang has created hundreds of kilometres of firebreaks, builtor upgraded 25 dams and six sluices and installed 47 water containers inimportant forests facing high risks.

It has cleared forests of flammable materials, dredged waterreservoirs in forests to increase their capacity, pumped water into cajuputforests, built 35 watchtowers, and drilled 80 borewells.

There have been four forest fires in Phu Quoc island this dryseason, which damaged 3.4ha of forests./.