Authorities are working hard to ensure and predict the possibility of forest fires. — VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Thế Anh

CÀ MAU — As temperatures rise and the weather becomes dryer, a warning has been issued over increased risks of forest fires in Cà Mau Province.

The Forest Protection Department under the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, says complex weather conditions could cause problems in forests in U Minh Hạ and on Hòn Khoai islands.

The entire province currently has more than 33,500 hectares of forests in a dry state, with more than 18,200 hectares at warning level IV (dangerous level) and more than 3,400 hectares at level V (extremely dangerous level).

The director of the Cà Mau Forest Protection Department, Lê Văn Hải, said that in recent days, there have been some unseasonal rains in the province with low rainfall and uneven distribution. Many forest areas belonging to the U Minh Hạ Forestry Company, the forest ranger unit of Hòn Khoai island group, and some communes in U Minh District are at extremely high risk of fire.

The provincial Forest Protection Department predicts that the hot weather will continue in the near future.

The depletion of water reserves in the forest areas will lead to difficulties due to the shortage of water supply for forest fire prevention and fighting. This implies an increasingly high risk of forest fires.

Currently, the locality has arranged nearly 500 people from the Forest Protection Force, forest owners, U Minh Hạ Forestry Company, and U Minh Hạ National Park to protect the forest, and proactively and quickly respond in the event of any fires. The province has also reserved a standby force of more than 5,000 people.

Law enforcement agencies are increasing inspections and patrols to timely detect, prevent, and strictly handle cases of hunting wild animals, collecting honey, and illegally logging forests. Forest owners coordinate with rangers and local authorities to organise propaganda and mobilise people to actively participate in forest protection and prevention of forest fires during the dry season. At the same time, all households receiving forest land parcels are required to sign commitments not to violate regulations on forest management, protection, development, and participate in forest fire prevention and control.

Hải has also requested that local task forces and forest owners work closely together and be ready to respond to forest fire prevention and control efforts.

Together with ensuring the communication and monitoring system, timely and accurate information forecasting forest fires at each time to proactively respond, the Provincial Forest Protection Department focuses on firefighting infrastructure solutions such as dredging canals, reinforcing and building water storage reservoirs, repairing and constructing fire observation towers, and purchasing vehicles and equipment to serve the forest fire prevention and control work during the dry season of 2022 - 2023. — VNS