The dry weather, combined with swidden fields adjacent to forests, significantly increases the risk of forest fires. Therefore, preventing and controlling forest fires during the swidden burning season is considered a top priority in forest protection efforts.

The Forest Protection and Fire Prevention Patrol Team of Residential Quarter 2 in Điện Biên Đông Town, Điện Biên Đông District, currently has eight members. Over the past two months, the team has doubled and even tripled its patrol frequency, a measure that will be maintained until April due to the high fire risk in forests under their management, particularly in areas bordering Keo Lôm Commune.

Mr. Cháng A Vàng, Head of Residential Quarter 2 and a member of the patrol team, shared that the team is responsible for managing and protecting over 157 hectares of forest. To prevent fires during the dry season, especially in the swidden burning period, the team’s members take turns patrolling the forest to detect and prevent unsafe clearing and burning of vegetation.

“We have strengthened patrols in areas bordering Keo Lôm Commune, as this is a grazing area where people often burn shrubs to promote grass growth, posing a high risk of fire spreading into the forest,” added Mr. Vàng.

Similarly, in Huổi Lóng Village, Na Sang Commune, Mường Chà District, Village Chief Vừ A Lọi and his forest protection team have been working tirelessly to safeguard the local forests. In addition to intensifying patrols, they are actively educating villagers on fire prevention measures.

“The village has nearly 90 households, all of whom have swidden fields. To raise awareness of forest protection, our team is currently spreading information about fire prevention techniques when burning swidden fields. Thanks to effective awareness campaigns, there have been no forest fires caused by swidden burning in our village for over a decade, and our 910 hectares of forest have been well preserved and developed,” he underlined.

Across the province, particularly in mountainous areas, forest protection teams in villages and residential groups have ramped up patrols while also educating local people on safe burning techniques.

Since swidden burning is one of the leading causes of forest fires during this period, villagers are required to inform the village chief before burning. Burning should be avoided during peak heat hours, such as midday or early afternoon, and instead conducted in the late afternoon. Firebreaks at least 4 to 5 meters wide must be created around the edges of the forest, and burning should start from the top of the slope downward. Once about 30% of the area is burned, the fire should be ignited from the bottom up. Crucially, farmers must remain at the site until the fire is completely extinguished.

According to Mr. Trần Đức Quyền, Deputy Head of the Forest Management, Protection, and Conservation Division under the Điện Biên Provincial Forest Protection Sub-Department, the peak swidden farming season occurs from late February to early April each year. Given the traditional farming practices and production cycles of local people, forest rangers must be on duty 24/7 during the dry season, working closely with commune-level fire prevention and control teams to educate and supervise swidden preparation. These efforts help villagers better understand the importance of forests and the need for fire prevention.

Despite proactive measures emphasizing prevention, challenges remain due to the vast forested areas, rugged terrain, and limited public awareness in some communities. Additionally, unpredictable weather patterns further complicate forest protection during the dry season.

Therefore, alongside efforts by forest rangers and community patrol teams, every villager and forest owner must strictly adhere to forest protection commitments and comply with regulations to reduce the risk of forest fires during the swidden farming season.