A forest fire. VNA/VNS Illustrative Photo

TUYÊN QUANG — Forest management officials in the northern mountainous province of Tuyên Quang are now using a forest fire-warning software on their smartphones as part of fire-prevention and efficiency measures.

Leaders of provincial forest management departments and divisions can receive early and updated information by using the software.

The provincial forest management department has set up 80 forest protection stations and has assigned forest rangers to be on duty around the clock to better protect forests from fires and illegal logging.

Thanks to these efforts, since 2018 Tuyên Quang has recorded no forest fires in spite of hot and dry weather.

Nguyễn Bảo Anh, acting head of the provincial forest management department, said that forest rangers and local residents were assigned to forests that have a high risk of deforestation.

Forest rangers will be strictly punished if they lack responsibility that leads to illegal logging, or illegal transportation and trading of wood.

In the first four months of the year, local forest rangers discovered 136 violations, down 20 per cent in comparison with the same period last year.

Tuyên Quang is home to nearly 423,000ha of forest, including over 233,000ha of natural forest.

The province is one of three areas with the highest rate of forest coverage, reaching nearly 65 per cent, in the country. —  VNS