An estimated 100 hectares of forest at the forest of Ba Na - Nui Chua in the central city of Da Nang was burned down as local residents cleared their fields for the new crop.
The fire was controled at 9.30pm on Saturday. “Many people have been ordered to remain on duty, in case of the fire returns,” a ranger said, who was stuck in a canyon with many others.
The fires began at 8:30 am the same day in the garden of a local person. It quickly spread to the protective forest of Ba Na - Nui Chua in Hoa Phu Commune, Hoa Vang District. Hundreds of fire fighters, forest rangers and local people were mobilized to put out the fires.
Vice President of Da Nang City People’s Committee - Mr. Phung Tan Viet, said on the same day there were three large fires in the city. All of them were extinguished promptly.
“The forest fires in Hoa Phu took place from morning untill now. The fire burned not only the projective forest but also many hectares of special forest,” Viet said.
According to Mr. Tran Van Truong, Chairman of Hoa Vang district, nearly 1,000 people including rangers, militia officers, policemen of the six communes in the district and soldiers of the Military Zone 5 were mobilize to save the forest, but about 100 hectares were destroyed.
The authorities said that the primary cause was the fire from the field of Mr. Luong Van Dung, residing in the village of Hoa Hai, Hoa Phu Commune. Dung burned his field to prepare for the new crop but he failed to control the fire from spreading to the nearby areas.
Around 7am of Saturday, a fire also occurred in the forest area in Lien Chieu District, Da Nang. More than 200 people tried to put out the fires after three hours.
