Burning sun, strong winds and thick vegetation caused the fire in Diễn Châu District to spread to Yên Thành. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Oanh |
NGHỆ AN — A forest fire that raged for eight hours in the central province of Nghệ An was finally extinguished on Monday evening.
Around 9ha of forest was destroyed.
The fire started at 11am near an old pine forest in Diễn Châu District. Burning sun, strong winds and thick vegetation caused the fire to spread to Yên Thành District. Over 700 people including police, army, local authorities and people helped to put out the fire.
No casualties were recorded although several houses were only 100m from the fire. The smoke also affected traffic on a nearby highway.
Deputy Secretary of Yên Thành’s Party Committee, Nguyễn Viết Hưng, said that by predicting the direction of the fire, it had been successfully dealt with and damage was minimised.
During the dry season, fire prevention needs to be prioritised. According to Nghệ An’s Forest Protection Department, almost 10 fires have broken out in the region since mid-June, destroying 20ha of pine forest. — VNS