Soldiers, police, residents battle forest fire in Vietnam’s Nghe An amid extreme heat

The fire broke out at about 2:00 pm on Sunday in compartments 2 and 3 of sub-zone 1019A in Thien Nhan Commune and continued to flare despite round-the-clock firefighting operations involving thousands of personnel.

Strong southwesterly foehn winds and dense vegetation fueled the blaze, making firefighting efforts difficult in the mountainous area, where water sources are limited.

The affected forest consists mainly of grassland, reeds, shrubs, and scattered pine and acacia trees managed by the South Nghe An Protection Forest Management Board, Thien Nhan Commune authorities, and local households.

Firefighters used water, leaf blowers, machetes, and specialized equipment to clear vegetation and create firebreaks aimed at preventing the flames from spreading to nearby forests and residential areas.

Hundreds of households live at the foot of the mountain near the fire zone.

They provided drinking water and food to emergency crews working through the intense heat.

“We stayed awake all night because we were afraid the fire could spread to our house,” said Ha Thi Lien, a 70-year-old resident of Khanh Son Hamlet in Thien Nhan Commune, who said her family had prepared valuables for evacuation if required.

After inspecting the site on Sunday, Vo Trong Hai, chairman of the People’s Committee of Nghe An Province, ordered military, police, and border guard forces to increase manpower and equipment for firefighting operations.

Hai said additional support could be requested from the Army’s 324th Division under Military Region 4 if necessary to bring the fire under full control.

Authorities also instructed local officials to continue applying Vietnam’s ‘four on-the-spot’ emergency response principle, which emphasizes locally available leadership, personnel, equipment, and logistics in disaster response.

Officials said expanding firebreaks and isolating burning areas remained critical to protecting nearby forests and ensuring the safety of communities living below the mountain.