Dak Lak (VNA) – The Central Highlands provincesof Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong are taking many precautiousmeasures to prevent forest fires as the region is in the peak of the dryseason.

The provinces have made efforts to raise awareness offorest fire prevention among local people who live nearby fire-prone forests. Officialshave been sent to villages to talk to people and urge them not to make a fireinside forests.

They have also kept a close watch on people and vehiclesgoing in and out forests to prevent illegal hunting and to stop people fromusing smoke to remove bees and harvest honey.

Dozens of thousands of households living surroundingforest areas were asked to sign commitments to forest fire prevention andforest protection while villagers were provided with instruction on properslash-and-burn cultivation practices.

Besides, hundreds of teams were set up at villages,hamlets and companies to be prepared for any fire emergency.

Local forest owners have repaired and constructed thousands of km offirebreak and erected signs warning fire risk and fire watchtowers while peoplehave been allocated to regularly patrol the forests and watch out fire aroundthe clock at fire-prone areas.

The Central Highlands has more than 2.55 million hectares of forests,of which over 324,200 hectares are planted forests and the remainder is naturalforests.

Dak Lak and Gia Lai have the largest fire-prone forestareas of about 300,000 and 225,000 hectares, respectively.-VNA