The Ca Mau Steering Committee for Forest Fire Prevention and Control, more than 50,500 hectares of forest were at risk of fire as of mid-May, including over 27,000 hectares classified at the highest danger level.
High-risk areas include U Minh Ha National Park, U Minh Ha Forestry Company and forests managed by businesses and local households, where dry vegetation and depleted canals have heightened fire risks.
The system automatically sends alerts to command centres and mobile phones of on-duty personnel when abnormal heat or smoke is detected, enabling firefighters to respond quickly.
Thermal-sensing drones are also being used to detect fires in difficult conditions, particularly during seasonal storms when lightning risks make tower monitoring unsafe, officials said.
Le Thanh Dung, deputy director of U Minh Ha National Park, said the drones could fly directly to fire locations, transmit live data and guide rescue teams to the shortest access routes.
Despite recent unseasonal rainfall, officials warned that fire risks remained high due to lightning strikes and the rapid drying of vegetation after rain.
The park is seeking funding for three additional camera clusters costing about VND 7.2 billion (USD 278,000) to expand surveillance coverage across nearly all managed forest areas.