In December 2022, a moment of carelessness with an open flame led to a devastating fire at the stilt house of Lò Văn Thắng in Huổi Vang village, Mường Mươn commune, Mường Chà district. Upon receiving the report, local authorities mobilized police officers, militia, and residents to fight the blaze. Three fire trucks and dozens of officers from the provincial Fire and Rescue Police Department were dispatched to the scene.

However, as the house was constructed entirely of wood, the fire quickly spread, posing a serious challenge to firefighters. After more than an hour, the blaze was finally brought under control, preventing it from spreading to neighboring homes. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the house and all its contents were completely destroyed, with damages estimated at over VND 1.6 billion.

Just a year earlier, in November 2021, an electrical malfunction triggered a fire at the stilt home of Lò Văn Lan in Khẩu Cắm village, Mường Phăng commune, Điện Biên Phủ city. Despite the presence of people in the house and swift support from neighbors, the fire spread rapidly. As with most traditional stilt houses, every structural element, from columns and rooms to dividing walls, was made of wood and other combustible materials. Additionally, the wooden surfaces were coated with paint mixed with gasoline, making them highly flammable. These features rendered firefighting efforts nearly impossible. Lan’s home and most of his essential belongings were lost in the fire, with estimated damages around VND 800 million.

According to the provincial Fire and Rescue Police, from 2021 to the present, Điện Biên has recorded 13 fires involving stilt houses, causing over VND 5.5 billion in damages. The majority of these fires were attributed to careless use of fire or electrical failures.

Two of the most recent incidents, in April and June 2025, occurred in Lọng Tóng village (Thanh Luông commune) and Phủ village (Noong Hẹt commune), both in Điện Biên district. Investigations confirmed that both fires were caused by electrical malfunctions.

Colonel Nguyễn Văn Thưởng, Deputy Head of the provincial Fire and Rescue Police Department, noted: “Most fires stem from a general lack of awareness among residents about fire prevention in their own homes. Many households are complacent, lack basic fire safety knowledge, and do not know how to respond to emergencies involving stilt houses.”

He added that many households store highly flammable materials under their stilt houses, including firewood, gasoline and oil in vehicles, and straw for farming. Unsafe cooking practices, such as using open flames on wooden floors and installing substandard electrical systems, further exacerbate the risk. The use of fire for heating, cooking, and drying meat is also rarely supervised closely.

To mitigate these risks, the fire and rescue forces have stepped up public education campaigns via mass media, advising residents to build fireproof cooking areas using concrete or non-flammable materials, extinguish all embers after use, and install safe electrical systems. They also urge people to avoid placing wires directly on combustible surfaces, such as wooden beams or thatched walls, and to refrain from storing flammable materials like firewood, straw, gasoline, and gas canisters near homes or underneath the floors. Families are encouraged to keep water tanks, hoses, and fire extinguishers on hand for quick response.

In just the first half of 2025, the provincial Fire and Rescue Police Department conducted 16 fire safety training sessions and seven practical fire drill events, reaching over 15,300 participants. Fire prevention messages were broadcast over 14,000 times via local loudspeakers across 129 communes, wards, and towns; 620 LED screen campaigns were conducted in public areas; and 3,000 safety pamphlets and family fire prevention handbooks were distributed.

Now that the winter-spring harvest season has ended and preparations for the summer-autumn crop are underway, many households are storing straw and farming tools containing fuel under their stilt homes. This makes the fire risk even greater. Alongside the efforts of firefighting authorities, each resident must remain vigilant, strictly follow fire safety regulations, and take responsibility for protecting lives and property from preventable disasters.