Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a telegram asking relevant ministries and agencies to adopt drastic measures to prevent and battle wildfires due to heatwaves.

The prime minister also ordered the enhanced safety of the national power grid.

To minimize damage caused by wildfires, the prime minister urged local authorities to beef up supervision of fire prevention and fighting operations and consider the task as a key duty.

The provinces and cities should not be negligent in the fight against wildfires and must patrol fire-prone areas round the clock, according to the telegram. 

Moreover, authorities were told to proactively evacuate residents from dangerous areas if necessary to ensure the safety of people.

It is vital to tighten control over vegetation treatment by fire in and near forests, and rice-field and dump burning activities, said the prime minister.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is in charge of monitoring fire prevention and fighting nationwide.

The prime minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises to ask the Vietnam Electricity Group to team up with local authorities and relevant agencies to ensure the safety of the national energy power and an adequate supply of power for production and daily activities.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible for updating forecasts about the weather and heatwaves to relevant departments and residents to make it easier to fight against fires.

Heatwaves are scorching many parts of Vietnam, with the highest temperatures ranging from 37 to 39 degrees Celsius.

Several localities such as Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Lam Dong have reported wildfires triggered by extreme heat.

The El Niño phenomenon is forecast to exacerbate extreme weather, increasing the number of hot days, according to the national weather center.

El Niño refers to a weather phenomenon caused by the warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!