A man died fighting a forest fire in Bac Giang province on May 3, asforests in other northern and central provinces are at extremely highrisk of fires due to the prolonged hot and dry weather.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development'sVietnam Forest Administration, the most high-risk forests are located inareas of Bao Thang, Van Ban and Bao Yen in northern Lao Cai province,as well as areas of Anh Son, Con Cuong, Que Phong and Quy Chau incentral Nghe An province.
The fire occurring in BacGiang province due to unknown causes destroyed at least 4ha of10-year-old trees, including pine, acacia and sandal wood trees in thetwo communes of Yen Lu and Tien Phong. Local authorities and agenciesco-operated with residents to put out the fire on May 3.
In central Da Nang City , the authority on May 3 morning alsobrought a forest fire on Hai Van Mountain Pass in Lien Chieu districtunder control after a seven-hour battle. More than 1,000 fire-fightersand people were involved in fighting the blaze.
Nguyen Huu Thiet, head of the district's Forest Fire Prevention Committee, said 100ha of forest was damaged.
District Forest Ranger Section deputy head Pham Van Rong said the fire might have been caused by a bomb or mine exploding.
An explosion was heard at 2pm, before the fire, he said.
Ha Giang, Vinh Phuc and Quang Ngai also reported forest fires due tothe current heat wave with the temperature reaching up to 42 degreeCelsius.
High temperatures and a prolonged droughthave put 63,000 ha of U Minh Ha cajuput forest at risk of fire, withanother thousand hectares of summer autumn rice facing sea-waterintrusion.
Initial statistics from the administration show that more than 310 ha of forest burned in the first quarter of this year.
The heat wave is forecasted to continue until May 5, warned by the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
Temperatures that have been hovering at 40-year highs in the last fewweeks in Vietnam have seriously affected people's lives, causingheat-related illnesses, increased salinity in rivers, and forest firesacross the country.
In Thua Thien Hue province, thenumber of people contracting respiratory and digestive ailments anddengue fever has shot up by 40 – 50 percent, forcing two patients toshare a bed at most hospitals.
The Da Nang General Hospital admits 1,000 – 1,500 patients every day, a nearly 50 percent increase over normal days.
The Ha Noi-based Central Children's Hospital admitted an estimated 2,000 patients on May 2, 40 percent higher than normal.
The high temperatures have caused many rivers in the central region to become severely saline.
Huynh Van Thang, deputy director of the Da Nang Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, said the Han and Yen Rivershave become extremely saline though it is just the beginning of the dryseason.
There will be a shortage of water for the summer-autumn crop as a result, he warned.
Many pumping stations in Quang Nam province's Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen,and Hoi An districts are grappling with the increased salinity.-VNA
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development'sVietnam Forest Administration, the most high-risk forests are located inareas of Bao Thang, Van Ban and Bao Yen in northern Lao Cai province,as well as areas of Anh Son, Con Cuong, Que Phong and Quy Chau incentral Nghe An province.
The fire occurring in BacGiang province due to unknown causes destroyed at least 4ha of10-year-old trees, including pine, acacia and sandal wood trees in thetwo communes of Yen Lu and Tien Phong. Local authorities and agenciesco-operated with residents to put out the fire on May 3.
In central Da Nang City , the authority on May 3 morning alsobrought a forest fire on Hai Van Mountain Pass in Lien Chieu districtunder control after a seven-hour battle. More than 1,000 fire-fightersand people were involved in fighting the blaze.
Nguyen Huu Thiet, head of the district's Forest Fire Prevention Committee, said 100ha of forest was damaged.
District Forest Ranger Section deputy head Pham Van Rong said the fire might have been caused by a bomb or mine exploding.
An explosion was heard at 2pm, before the fire, he said.
Ha Giang, Vinh Phuc and Quang Ngai also reported forest fires due tothe current heat wave with the temperature reaching up to 42 degreeCelsius.
High temperatures and a prolonged droughthave put 63,000 ha of U Minh Ha cajuput forest at risk of fire, withanother thousand hectares of summer autumn rice facing sea-waterintrusion.
Initial statistics from the administration show that more than 310 ha of forest burned in the first quarter of this year.
The heat wave is forecasted to continue until May 5, warned by the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
Temperatures that have been hovering at 40-year highs in the last fewweeks in Vietnam have seriously affected people's lives, causingheat-related illnesses, increased salinity in rivers, and forest firesacross the country.
In Thua Thien Hue province, thenumber of people contracting respiratory and digestive ailments anddengue fever has shot up by 40 – 50 percent, forcing two patients toshare a bed at most hospitals.
The Da Nang General Hospital admits 1,000 – 1,500 patients every day, a nearly 50 percent increase over normal days.
The Ha Noi-based Central Children's Hospital admitted an estimated 2,000 patients on May 2, 40 percent higher than normal.
The high temperatures have caused many rivers in the central region to become severely saline.
Huynh Van Thang, deputy director of the Da Nang Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, said the Han and Yen Rivershave become extremely saline though it is just the beginning of the dryseason.
There will be a shortage of water for the summer-autumn crop as a result, he warned.
Many pumping stations in Quang Nam province's Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen,and Hoi An districts are grappling with the increased salinity.-VNA
