Tram Chim National Park forest fire: extensive damage to 17 hectares of Melaleuca forest

Regarding the forest fire on the afternoon of June 11, the fire originated in Zone A1 of the Melaleuca forest in Tram Chim National Park, Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province. Subsequently, local authorities have mobilized multiple firefighting teams to actively control the forest fire.

According to Nguyen Van Vu Minh, General Director of Dong Thap province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the forest fire in Zone A1 has been contained. Local authorities have mobilized over 200 individiuals to participate in the firefighting effort in Tram Chim National Park. Accordingly, the firefighting police, military personnel, and other local forces have actively pumped water to extinguish and prevent the fire from spreading to other areas.

Zone A1, currently affected by the fire, is located adjacent to a densely populated residential area. Consequently, local authorities and residents are focusing on spraying water and clearing grass to create a firebreak that prevent the fire from spreading to the residential area.

Additionally, local authorities have evacuated a residential area within a 1-kilometer radius of the fire-affected zone in order to to ensure their safety and well-being.

According to Nguyen Van Vu Minh, by 5 PM on the same day, the forest fire in Zone A1 of Tram Chim National Park has been largely contained. Local authorities are continuing to spray water to fully extinguish the remaining fires at the base of Melaleuca trees, vegetation, and wild grass.

While the initial estimate suggests that approximately 17 hectares of Melaleuca forest in Zone A1 were affected by the fire, the extent of damage to local fruit orchards has not been accurately calculated.

According to initial reports, the forest fire originated in the wetland habitat reserve area, which is home to rare bird species, located in sub-zone A1 of Tram Chim National Park, approximately 300 meters from Provincial Road 843.

When the fire broke out in the A1 forest area, it created a dense smoke plume measuring several hundreds of meters in height. The smoke obscured visibility for approximately 1 kilometer on the Provincial Road 843. This road, a critical transportation route connecting Tam Nong, Tan Hong, and Hong Ngu districts to Hong Ngu city and Vietnam's border with Cambodia, experienced localized traffic congestion as a result.

Le Thanh Son, Team Leader of the Resource Management Team under the Forest Protection Force at Tram Chim National Park, stated that various local agencies, the military, and the forest fire prevention force under the Dong Thap province's Sub-Department of Forest Protection have mobilized over 200 people to extinguish the fire in zone A1.

“The fire has spread rapidly due to the sunny midday weather and strong winds. However, local authorities are currently unable to gauge the extent of the damage and the total affected forest area,” reported Team Leader Le Thanh Son.

Accordingly, the firefighting force has employed water to contain the fire, with a focus on establishing firebreaks and preventing the fire from spreading to the remaining Melaleuca forest area within the park. Local authorities have also formulated various contingency plans, including the potential evacuation of residents, especially children, from the affected area.

Tram Chim National Park spans an area of over 7,300 hectares in Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province. After being designated as a national park in 1998, Tram Chim National Park served as a habitat for over 130 species of high-level flora, 231 species of waterfowl, over 100 species of fauna, and over 150 species of fish.

The park also plays a crucial role in conserving the critically endangered Sarus crane species. As a result of the declining Sarus crane population in Tram Chim National Park in recent years, Dong Thap province approved a conservation and development project for the Sarus crane at Tram Chim National Park for the years between 2022 and 2032. The project received an estimated total budget of 185 billion Vietnamese Dong.