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Dousing flames: Firefighters work to save the national park. — VNA/VNS Photo Trang Duong

KIEN GIANG — Firefighters have isolated about 5,000ha of U Minh Thuong National Park from a wildfire that has scorched surrounding forest for the last 10 days, according to Pham Long, vice chairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee.

About 1,000ha of virgin cajeput forest and 4,000ha of newly planted trees are now protected by a 6m-wide, 3m-deep, 10km-long canal.

Along the new canal firefighters have installed more than 100 pumps running 24 hours a day to provide water for fire-fighting, Long said.

According to Long, before the fire, U Minh Thuong had about 8,000ha of forest, including 4,000ha of virgin cajeput. However, the latest fire has reduced half of the cajeput to ashes and singed another 1,000ha.

Temperatures in the burning forest have soared to 500C, and smouldering peat makes for a hot forest floor.

High temperatures and strong wind have occasionally led to large fire balls that endanger remaining forests.

Thousands of fire fighters, including police, forest rangers, the armed forces and locals have joined forces to combat the fire.

Military units are said to be at the forefront of the effort.

Provincial authorities in Kien Giang have mobilised all tractors and pumps owned by residents in neighbouring areas.

Despite these resources, the prolonged drought that has hit southern provinces over the last month has severely limited the availability of fresh water, hindering efforts to extinguish the fire.

U Minh Thuong Forest is ranked as the world’s second richest and largest mangrove forest after the Amazon rain forest in Brazil. Environmentalists and ecologists consider it an irreplaceable resource. — VNS