A forest fire broke out on the afternoon of June 24 in Dao Duy Tu Ward, Thanh Hoa Province, and spread close to the 110kV Tinh Gia 2 Substation.
To protect residents, firefighters and the power grid, Thanh Hoa Power Company temporarily suspended electricity supply to several areas.
The outage affected approximately 30,000 customers. The utility said it is coordinating with local authorities and firefighting forces to contain the blaze, safeguard power infrastructure and restore electricity as soon as conditions are deemed safe.
At the same time, two additional forest fires were reported in Truc Lam Ward and Hai Binh Ward. Hundreds of personnel and vehicles have been mobilised to reach the affected areas and bring the fires under control.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Le Trong Tai, head of the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Division under Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, firefighting efforts have been complicated by steep terrain and limited access to water sources.
Prolonged hot weather has left forest vegetation extremely dry, increasing the risk of flare-ups and allowing flames to spread rapidly with changing winds.
As of after 6 pm, emergency crews were continuing to isolate hotspots and monitor areas at risk of reignition. The causes of the fires and the extent of forest damage have not yet been determined.
According to the Thanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Environment, 99 communes and wards were placed under Level V forest fire warnings, classified as extremely dangerous, between June 23 and June 25. Another 11 communes and wards were under Level III warnings, indicating a high fire risk.
Forest protection officials said prolonged drought, low humidity and high temperatures mean even a small ignition source could trigger a major wildfire if not detected and controlled quickly.
