Directive No. 177/TTg On urgent measures for forest fire prevention and extinguishing

DIRECTIVE

OF THE PRIME MINISTER

On urgent measures for forest fire prevention and extinguishing

In recent years, many large forest fires have occurred in many countries around the world, destroying tens of thousands of hectares, causing significant losses in property and human lives.

In our country, in recent years, serious forest fires still occur; every year, thousands of hectares of forests are burned. According to the report of the Ministry of Forestry, the area of forests burned in 1994 did not decrease compared to 1993; many provinces still suffered from large-scale forest fires such as: Minh Hai, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Son La, Lai Chau, Quang Ninh... which destroyed national resources worth hundreds of billions of dong; many forest fires threatened seriously the safety of state construction projects such as high-voltage power systems, warehouses, houses; at the same time, they also caused significant damage to the ecological environment. On the other hand, the state budget spends hundreds of billions of dong annually on the program to green barren mountains (Program 327); if timely measures to prevent forest fires, burning forests (including deforestation) are not taken, it will be very difficult to achieve this goal.

The occurrence of forest fires has many causes; first, the people have not fully recognized the importance of forest protection work; forest owners have not clearly understood their responsibility for forest fire prevention and extinguishing; the Ministry of Forestry and People's Committees at all levels have not paid sufficient attention to this work; forest rangers have not truly been closely monitoring the forests and fire-prone areas. Localities almost do not have fire prevention and extinguishing plans for forests. Relevant ministries and agencies have not closely coordinated and synchronized, considering this as a matter solely for the forestry sector.

Currently, many regions such as the Central Highlands, Southwest... have very dry weather, and are about to enter the slash-and-burn season, making forest fires, even large-scale ones, very likely to occur. To minimize to the lowest extent possible, and eventually stop forest fires and burning forests, especially during the upcoming dry season, the Prime Minister instructs the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, relevant ministries and sectors, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities with forests to immediately implement the following:

1. From this dry season onwards, specific measures must be implemented regularly to proactively prevent and extinguish forest fires:

- The Ministry of Forestry guides localities to identify types of forests, fire-prone areas, and key facilities that may be threatened by forest fires, and directs forest ranger forces at all levels to closely monitor these targets; strictly enforce patrol and guard duties, especially throughout the dry season.

- Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities with forests, based on the guidance of the Ministry of Forestry, must directly examine specific plans for forest fire prevention and extinguishing in their localities and promptly direct the implementation of these plans before the dry season.

In localities where forest fires have previously occurred and where there are many key forest areas prone to fires or key facilities threatened by forest fires, provincial-level Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Steering Committees should be established down to the commune level to assist People's Committees at all levels in directing forest fire prevention and extinguishing work, similar to how typhoon and flood prevention and response work is directed. At the Ministry of Forestry (Forest Ranger Department), a dedicated unit must continuously monitor and direct forest fire prevention and extinguishing work throughout the dry season.

- The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and other related ministries and sectors must closely coordinate with the Ministry of Forestry in forest fire prevention and extinguishing work according to their functions and tasks, and instruct units under their jurisdiction in areas with forests to develop forest fire prevention methods and actively participate in extinguishing forest fires.

2. When a forest fire occurs:

- All organizations and individuals, including forest owners, when discovering a forest fire, have the responsibility to promptly inform the local People's Committee, forestry inspection agency, police, and nearest military unit to participate in rescue operations. Forest owners must proactively organize efforts to extinguish forest fires and bear responsibility for the forests under their management being burned.

- Agencies and military units stationed in the area must take the initiative to organize personnel and equipment to participate in rescue and extinguishing forest fires.

- Chairmen of People's Committees at all levels and the Minister of Forestry have the authority to mobilize all available personnel and equipment to extinguish forest fires. All organizations and individuals must comply with mobilization orders regarding personnel and equipment for extinguishing forest fires. Those who fail to comply with mobilization orders will be dealt with strictly according to the law depending on the severity of the violation.

- After extinguishing the fire, People's Committees at all levels, forestry inspection agencies, and local police must investigate and find the cause, and handle the perpetrators of forest fires severely, and appropriately reward individuals and units that promptly discover and make significant contributions to extinguishing forest fires.

- The Ministry of Finance, based on the proposals of provincial and centrally governed city People's Committees and the Ministry of Forestry, shall allocate emergency funds to the Ministry of Forestry and localities to support the mitigation of the consequences of forest fires.

3. Effective organization of forest fire prevention and extinguishing work, incorporating this into routine practices, and ending slash-and-burn practices:

- Starting from 1995, the Ministry of Forestry must establish a forest fire prediction network from central to grassroots levels; develop and promulgate procedures and standards for forest fire prevention and extinguishing; guide forest owners to develop fire prevention and extinguishing plans; plan the construction of fire prevention and extinguishing facilities; equip patrol and fire notification tools; organize specialized forest ranger forces for fire prevention and extinguishing and mass participation in rescue operations when necessary.

Following the guidance of the Ministry of Forestry, owners of facilities, agencies, warehouses... within and adjacent to forests must develop fire prevention and extinguishing plans to protect their facilities, agencies, warehouses...

- The Ministry of Forestry shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the State Planning Commission, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas... to direct the provinces in developing plans and organizing the transportation of people to establish new economic zones, implementing the allocation of land and forest concessions to households, creating favorable conditions for ethnic groups to borrow capital, seedlings, guiding advanced farming methods to develop production and stabilize living conditions, and promptly ending the practice of slash-and-burn; directing and inspecting People's Committees at all levels to consider revoking forests from irresponsible original forest owners and reallocating them to other protectors if the original owners fail to properly manage the forests.

4. On organization and implementation:

- The Ministry of Forestry shall take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to review fire prevention and firefighting plans for forests in localities; organize extensive propaganda and education among all strata of the population, especially among young people and students about fire prevention and firefighting awareness, responsibilities, and duties of each organization and citizen in protecting national resources; launch a proactive movement for fire prevention and firefighting among young people and students; guide and direct People's Committees at all levels and specialized organizations to effectively implement this Directive; after each dry season, compile and report to the Prime Minister on the results of fire prevention and firefighting in forests.

- The Ministries of Home Affairs, National Defense, Transport, Energy, Finance, the State Planning Commission, the General Administration of Meteorology and Hydrology, the General Administration of Tourism, and other relevant ministries and sectors within their respective powers and responsibilities shall be responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Forestry to direct the implementation of this Directive./.