Hundreds of hectares of protection forest have dried up in southern coastal Phú Yên Province. — Photo vov.vn

PHÚ YÊN — The prolonged severe drought has dried up thousands of hectares of protection forest in the southern coastal province of Phú Yên, causing many forest fires.

Several forests in Tuy An District and Tuy Hòa City have been badly affected by the hot weather. Most of the protection forests are unable to recover, the Voice of Việt Nam (VoV) reported.

According to statistics of the provincial afforestation project executive board, about 190ha out of 460ha of newly planted protection forest in Tuy An District and Tuy Hòa City has been destroyed and the remainder is at risk of drying up.

Bùi Văn Thành, chairman of Tuy An District People's Committee, said that the local government has to prepare water for residents and solutions to fight forest fires.

“This year we have seen a large number of forests being destroyed. There is no water available to save the forest," he said.

So far, more than 2,750ha of forest has died due to prolonged drought across the province, of which 180ha are forests planted along the coast.

The hot weather also caused over 40 forest fires.

Nguyễn Văn Dư, deputy director of the Forest Protection Department, said with this drought, the risk of forest fire is very high.

Local authorities have mobilised rangers for active duty around-the-clock to prevent fires. — VNS