HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Patrols will be increased and fire safetypromoted by local districts in HCM City and neighbouring provinces in an aim toprevent forest fires during the current dry season, the city's Fire Fightingand Prevention Police Department has said.

Scrap collection yards in particular are prone to fires during the hot, dryseason, with fires spreading very quickly to surrounding areas, causing seriousconsequences.

In late December, the city’s police asked all 24 districts to inspect scrapcollection yards in their localities, and to strictly handle violators of fireprevention regulations.

The city is working with districts to permanently remove discarded materialsites in residential areas, and will suspend operations for repeated violationsand anyone operating without a permit.

Fires often occur from simple actions such as burning incense or votive paperswithout proper supervision, or from using electrical equipment and devices thathave not been maintained properly.

Residential homes, particularly those used for both living and tradingpurposes, pose a high risk of fire since they store many flammable items thatoften block fire exits, according to the department.

Colonel Huynh Van Quyen, deputy head of the Binh Chanh District PoliceDepartment, said that district authorities should work with local agencies toinspect fire safety in all households and household businesses, and takemeasures to reduce fire risks.

The city’s electricity sector should also offer support to repair any problemswith power systems, and the water supply sector should install fire hydrants inresidential areas and near household businesses.

Local residents need to be educated about fire regulations and the best ways toprevent fires, he said.

To raise public awareness, fire prevention and fighting police will increasethe number of training courses on fire prevention in residential areas, saidQuyến. The training will be accompanied by drills that involve theparticipation of local residents.

In Dong Nai province, the risk of forest fires in Dong Nai has reached thefifth and highest level since there has been no rain for a long time and theweather is hot and dry, according to the province’s Forest ProtectionSub-department.

In Tan Phu and Thong Nhat districts, they are at levels three and four while inBien Hoa city, towns and other districts, it is at the highest level.

The sub-department has called on relevant agencies and forest caretakers toimplement all recommended measures to prevent forest fires.

They have made firebreaks in forests and cut grass and other vegetation inhigh-risk places.

They have also increased patrols and are keeping watch round the clock fromwatchtowers.

Forest rangers are conducting fire drills and fining people who violate firesafety regulations.

The authorities in the Mekong Delta are also setting up firebreaks, preparingequipment and putting up warning boards as the area’s forests face a high riskof fire in the dry season.

An Giang provincial authorities have raised the fire risk to the fourth level,out of a total of five, as the risk of large forest fires increases, especiallyin cajuput forests in mountainous districts.

The province has prepared firefighting facilities, including trucks totransport firefighters, fire extinguishers, pumps, and water containers on thetop of mountains.

The dry, hot weather could lead to forest fires in the mountainous areas of ThoaiSon, Tri Ton and Tinh Bien districts and Chau Doc city.

The province has 16,868ha of forested land, according to its Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development.

In Ca Mau, the Forest Protection Sub-department has made preparations duringthe dry season which normally lasts between November and May.

The province has set up plans to use available staff and facilities to fightforest fires, including more than 100 pumps, water pipes with a total length of63,000m, and 12 fire trucks.

It has installed 25 warning boards at crossroads and near forests, and set up64 permanent fire watching towers and 23 temporary towers in forests to monitorforest fires.

Besides natural occurrences such as lightning, human activities like burningfields, harvesting honey and hunting wild animals are the major causes behindforests fires in Ca Mau.

Ca Mau’s Forest Protection Sub-department has also increased the number ofpatrols so that fires can be extinguished quickly before they spread.

The province’s forest management boards have encouraged local households livingnear forests to take steps to prevent fires in the dry season and clearflammable materials around their houses.

Ca Mau has more than 53,000ha of forests in the U Minh Ha National Park andislands, which have a high risk of forest fires in the dry season./.