The Central Highlands region is mobilising resources to prevent forest fires as it is the peak of the dry season, which begins in November and ends in April every year.

The five provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Lam Dong have conducted inspections of forest protection and fire prevention works. 

Most localities and forest owners have prepared to deal with fires.

Officers have been sent to risky areas to ensure locals conduct slash-and-burn cultivation correctly.

The localities have set up hundreds of forest protection teams and increased the number of personel on round-the-clock duty in high-risk areas. Localities and forest owners also signed commitments with ethnic minority households living near forests on forest fire prevention.

According to the Central Highlands Steering Committee, the region has 2.2 million hectares of natural forests, and over 313,313 hectares of planted forests.

In 2016, the region recorded 45 forest fires, damaging some 170 hectares of forest. Of the fires, 34 occurred in Lam Dong, burning 118 hectares of forest; and 10 in Dak Lak, damaging 19.7 hectares of forest.

VNA