The fire in sub-zone 592A in Linh Trường Commune, Gio Linh District. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG TRỊ — Two forest fires causing damage of up to hundreds of millions of đồng were reported on Wednesday in the central province of Quảng Trị.

The first fire broke out at noon in sub-zone 592A in Linh Trường Commune, Gio Linh District.

As the province is in the dry season and suffered from scorching hot days, the fire spread quickly and covered an area of 18ha including 6ha of forest planted in 2016.

The fire location was 10km from residential areas so it was difficult to access it. Nearly 80 people including police officers and forest rangers were mobilised to the scene.

The fire area has vegetation with many branches and acacia leaves under the forest canopy, making the rescue efforts more challenging.

Simple fire-fighting equipment was used to create boundaries to prevent the fire from spreading.

The fire was extinguished at 6pm.

Initial damage was estimated at VNĐ300 million.

The second fire was reported in the forest of Cam Tuyền Commune, Cam Lộ District, causing damage to 3ha of three-year-old acacia forest.

The causes of the fires are being investigated. — VNS