Viet Nam - Forest Fire OCHA Situation Report No. 1

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2002/0081
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Vietnam - Forest Fire
09 April 2002

This report is based on information provided by the UNDP Office in Vietnam, the Disaster Management Unit and media reports.

See Map of affected area - Forest Fire in UMINH THUONG Reigon Viet Nam

Event and Impact

1. A forest fire, that started on 23 March in the 8,000-hectare U Minh Thuong National Park in the southern province of Ca Mau, is now raging out of control and threatens to destroy thousands of hectares of forest. Temperatures in the heart of the forest have soared to 50 degrees Celsius and reached thousands of degrees in the 0.5 to 1.5 metre-thick smouldering peat and coal layers. The combined high temperatures and strong winds have occasionally produced large fireballs, endangering the remaining forest and hampering efforts to extinguish the fire. A prolonged drought has severely limited the availability of fresh water, which is hindering fire-fighting efforts. U Minh Thuong Forest is ranked as the world's second richest and largest mangrove forest after the Amazon rain forest in Brasil.

2. The fire is believed to have destroyed over 4,000 hectares of virgin forest. This will affect the lives of thousands of poor families living in the area, and will also have significant ecological impacts, including loss of biodiversity and habitat to local species.

National Response

3. Thousands of policemen, military, forest rangers and local residents have joined forces to combat the fire. Fire fighters have isolated approximately 5,000 hectares of virgin and newly planted forest by digging a 6 metre-wide, 3 metre-deep and 10 metre-long canal, along which more than 100 pumps are running 24 hours a day to provide water for the fire fighting effort. A 10 metre-wide fire prevention belt is being cleared. So far, digging ditches around the burning areas has been the only way to halt the spread of the fire.

4. The police and armed forces were mobilised on Tuesday, 2 April to assist the fire fighters, and military units are said to be at the forefront of the effort.

5. The provincial authorities have mobilised all tractors and pumps owned by residents in neighbouring areas.

General Information

6. No request for international assistance has been received by OCHA to date.

7. OCHA is in close contact with the office of the United Nations Resident Co-ordinator in Hanoi and will revert with further information.

8. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
Mr. R. Muller / Ms. M. Spaak / Ms. C. Cassabalian/ Ms. P. Charlebois
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3131 / 1728/ 1173 / 1815

Press contact:
(GVA) Ms. Elisabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
(N.Y.) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32