Nam Thai Commune People's Committee Chairwoman Le Thi Huong told Dantri/Dtinews on Wednesday morning that the fire had been brought under control by 4 am.

"Firefighters were exhausted after working hard through the night," Huong said. Some are resting, while others are watching the fire that could break out again."

According to the official, the fire started at a forest in Thanh Khai Commune on Tuesday morning. Despite efforts by hundreds of firefighters and local people, the fire spread quickly to the pine and acacia forests in Nam Thai Commune and Nam Dan Town due to hot, dry weather and strong winds. Smoke over a metre high made firefighting activities difficult.

The vice chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Van De, and the Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Phung Thanh Vinh, arrived on Tuesday evening to direct the firefighting work.

There have been no reports on the losses caused by the fire yet.