At 6:00 a.m. on May 8, sub-zone No.59 (sited in Ninh Son Commune of Ninh Hoa Town) under the charge of North Khanh Hoa Forest Management Board burst into flame. Strong wind contributed to spreading the fire quickly. Due to the thick smoke and ash, the nearby sugarcane and acacia fields caught fire as well.
Receiving the urgent report, two fire engines immediately moved towards the site, carrying tens of firefighters to join hand with local forces to control this fire. However, owing to strong wind and extreme heat at the time, this fight was rather labor-consuming and challenging.
At 4:00 p.m. of the same day, the fire was basically under control.
Preliminary statistics show that about 15ha of 2-to-4-year-old forest under the responsibility of citizens were damaged, not to mention the one of the North Khanh Hoa Forest Management Board. Besides, about 45ha of sugarcane fields of nearby residents also endured severe damage.
Deputy Director Do Anh Thu of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Khanh Hoa Province said that the forest protection forces are still joining hand with local people to completely extinguish this fire.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by functional units.
