Many forest areas are at extremely dangerous alarming levels
On May 13, the Ca Mau Provincial Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Command said that it had requested forest owners, localities and related units to strengthen the implementation of measures to ensure forest fire prevention and fighting safety in the dry season of 2025-2026 in the face of complicated weather developments.
According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau province Phan Minh Chi, recent prolonged heat has caused the water level in the forest to continuously decrease, increasing the risk of forest fires in many key areas.
The total area of drought forest in the province currently at risk of fire is 50,520ha. Of which, the forecast forest fire area of level III (high level) is 11,725ha; level IV (dangerous level) is 11,666ha and level V (extremely dangerous level) is up to 27,129ha.
Forest areas at high risk of fire are distributed in many units such as U Minh Ha Forestry One Member Limited Liability Company, U Minh Ha National Park, Bac Lieu Bird Garden, Southwest Forestry Experimental Research Center, Hon Khoai Island Forest Protection Department and many businesses and households allocated land and forests.
In which, the U Minh Ha forest area continues to be a key area for the risk of forest fires when many areas of cajeput forest have dried up, and the undergrowth is easily flammable. Some areas in U Minh Ha National Park and U Minh Ha Forestry One Member Limited Liability Company have been put under special monitoring to proactively respond when incidents occur.
The Ca Mau Provincial Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Command believes that just a small mistake in using fire can lead to a large fire, especially in areas with dense melaleuca forests and dry weather lasting for many days.
Increase 24/24h duty, tighten management of people entering and leaving the forest
Faced with the high risk of forest fires, the Ca Mau Provincial Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Command requests forest owners, localities and functional forces to strengthen propaganda and mobilize people to raise awareness of complying with regulations on forest fire prevention and fighting, especially for households living in and along forests.
It is strictly forbidden for organizations and individuals not responsible to arbitrarily enter forest areas that are being warned of fire level IV and level V such as U Minh Ha National Park, Bac Lieu Bird Garden and concentrated forests with large reserves.
For key areas with high fire risk, forest owners must arrange forces, vehicles and equipment to be on duty for fire prevention and fighting 24/24h throughout the dry season to promptly handle arising situations.
The forest ranger force is assigned to proactively coordinate with the fire and rescue police and related units to strengthen inspection of the implementation of measures to ensure forest fire prevention and fighting safety according to regulations.
Production and business activities in flammable forest areas must strictly comply with fire prevention and fighting safety regulations. Functional sectors strictly prohibit burning fields, burning vegetation after exploitation, burning coal pits, beekeeping or illegal hunting of forest animals in and along forests when fire forecasts are at dangerous and extremely dangerous levels.
According to the Ca Mau Provincial Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Command, from the beginning of the 2025-2026 dry season to now, forest owners units have synchronously implemented many solutions such as reinforcing the water storage culvert system, repairing and supplementing fire fighting machinery and equipment, consolidating local forces and organizing forest fire fighting drills.
