Vietnam’s Kien Giang faces extreme wildfire risk as dry heat persists despite early rains

High fire risks of level IV and V, the most dangerous levels, are concentrated in protection and special-use forests, particularly on Phu Quoc Island, where over 6,773 hectares are vulnerable.

Most of the at-risk areas include melaleuca forests, forests adjacent to farmlands and gardens, and island commune forests.

In the first quarter of 2025, Kien Giang recorded four forest fires, including three in Phu Quoc City and one in Giang Thanh District, destroying nearly 17 hectares.

The affected areas were mainly young regenerating melaleuca forests planted between 2016 and 2017, along with shrubs and grasslands.

Authorities cited challenges such as insufficient forest protection forces, vast forested areas, and sometimes inconsistent coordination between forest owners and local officials.

Prolonged heatwaves and widespread drought have further exacerbated the situation, with dried vegetation and empty forest canals increasing fire risks.

Local forest units have implemented preventive measures, including plowing firebreaks over 660 hectares, reinforcing water reserves in high-risk areas, dredging five forest ponds, clearing vegetation along vulnerable routes, and deploying firefighting vehicles and equipment.

The total forest and forestry land area in Kien Giang is approximately 82,650 hectares, comprising 39,786 hectares of special-use forests, more than 31,000 hectares of protection forests, and about 11,000 hectares of production forests.