Prime Minister directs to focus on overcoming consequences of forest fire in Tuyen Quang

Telegrams sent to the Ministers of: Agriculture and Environment, National Defense, Public Security, Finance; General Directors of: Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency; Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The dispatch stated: It is reported that on the night of March 21 to the morning of March 22, 2025, a forest fire broke out in Hoang Khai commune, Yen Son district, Tuyen Quang province, resulting in 1 death and over 20 hectares of forest damage. Up to now, the fire has been extinguished.

The Prime Minister sent his condolences, encouragement and commendation to the military, police, militia and people for their prompt coordination and working overnight to promptly deploy firefighting work, quickly controlling and extinguishing the fire; at the same time, he sent his condolences and deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased victims and shared the difficulties of households affected by the forest fire.

Currently, the weather is dry and about to turn hot, the risk of forest fires continues to occur. To overcome the consequences of the forest fire in Hoang Khai commune, Yen Son district, Tuyen Quang province, and at the same time be proactive in forest fire prevention and fighting, especially in the upcoming hot period, the Prime Minister requests:

1. The Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang province continues to direct the quick overcoming of the consequences of the forest fire in Hoang Khai commune, Yen Son district, Tuyen Quang province, organize visits, encouragement, and support to the families of the deceased victims and families affected by the forest fire, not to let people go hungry, alone, and in difficulty without being cared for and supported. Timely identify the cause of the fire, as a basis for handling responsibility if there are signs of violations of regulations on forest fire prevention and fighting, at the same time, disseminate and learn from experience among the people, to avoid similar incidents.

2. The Chairman of the People's Committee of the provinces and centrally-run cities is responsible to the Government and the Prime Minister for forest fire prevention and fighting in the area, proactively directing and implementing forest fire prevention and fighting, focusing on the following key tasks:

a) Strengthen propaganda, education, raise awareness and sense of responsibility of each cadre, party member and people in forest fire prevention and fighting.

b) Direct local authorities and functional forces to strictly implement their responsibilities for forest fire prevention and fighting; strengthen urging, inspection and supervision of forest fire prevention and fighting, in which the motto is to take prevention as the main focus, fire fighting must be carried out early, from the grassroots level; strictly control the use of fire in and near forests by people, especially slash-and-burn farming activities, using fire to treat vegetation, promptly prevent and strictly handle acts of using fire that have a high risk of causing forest fires, especially during periods of prolonged dry and hot weather.

c) Review, update and complete the local forest fire prevention and fighting plan according to the "four on-site" motto, promptly overcome discovered limitations and shortcomings; proactively arrange forces, means, materials and funds to ensure forest fire prevention and fighting in the locality, especially in areas at high risk of forest fires.

d) Organize close monitoring and supervision, promptly detect fire spots; proactively direct and deploy fire fighting work when forest fires occur in the area, paying special attention to evacuation to ensure people's safety, mobilizing forces to participate in controlling and extinguishing forest fires in the shortest time.

d) Proactively direct competent authorities to investigate and clearly identify the causes of forest fires, strictly handle subjects who intentionally violate the law on forest fire prevention and fighting; handle responsibilities for heads of agencies and organizations if they lack responsibility in leadership and direction leading to forest fires; at the same time promptly commend and reward individuals and organizations that do a good job in forest fire prevention and fighting and actively participate in forest fire prevention and fighting.

3. The Minister of Agriculture and Environment directly directs and urges the implementation of forest fire prevention and fighting nationwide according to assigned functions and tasks, focusing on implementing the following tasks:

a) Organize monitoring and forecasting of weather conditions, warning of forest fire risks, especially for key areas with high risk of forest fires in the mountainous and midland areas of the North, the Central Coast and the Central Highlands to promptly provide information to localities and people to proactively implement forest fire prevention and fighting plans.

b) Strengthen direction, supervision and inspection of forest fire prevention and fighting work in localities, especially in key high-risk areas and areas where forest fires often occur every year.

c) Organize close monitoring and supervision, promptly detect forest fires, proactively support localities with information about fire spots, be ready to mobilize forces, means, and fire-fighting equipment to support localities when large fires occur and upon request from localities. Promote the application of science and technology to improve the capacity and quality of forest fire forecasting and warning and promptly detect forest fires.

4. Ministers of the Ministries of National Defense and Public Security direct forces stationed in the area to proactively review, update, and complete coordination plans between armed forces and local forces in forest fire prevention and fighting; proactively develop plans to provide the highest level of support for forest fire fighting in the area of ​​stationing, and be ready to mobilize forces, vehicles, and equipment to participate in forest fire fighting when requested by the locality.

5. Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency proactively coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to continue to carry out communication work, disseminate laws, raise awareness of cadres, party members and people about forest fire prevention and fighting, promptly commend exemplary and localities that do a good job of forest fire prevention and fighting.

6. Assign Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to directly direct relevant ministries, branches and localities to implement this telegram and continue to direct the implementation of forest fire prevention and fighting work in accordance with the situation.

The Government Office, according to its assigned functions and tasks, shall monitor and urge the implementation of this Official Dispatch; promptly report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in charge on urgent and arising issues.