People in the southern and central provinces of Vietnam are not onlysuffering from the scorching weather, they are afraid it could lead toforest fires and destroy fields of sugar-cane.

Fires could also seriously affect power supplies to large areas of the country.

TheElectric Transmission Company No. 3 has taken steps to set up measuresto limit potential risks. Company director Hoang Xuan Phong saidtransmission units had been working with local authorities andprovincial steering committees to improve high-voltage power gridsafety.

Phong said sugar factories have also decided to buy canegrowing near high-voltage lines early, before it becomes tinder dry.Moreover, the company is working with forest rangers and sugarcane farmowners to lower any foliage risks.

The transmission company hasoffered financial assistance to farmers who harvest and clear-up sitesafter harvesting. Safe corridors around endangered power lines have beenwidened to 10-15m.

Since early this year, the company hascleared about five million square metres of high-risk foliage. And Phongsaid the company planned to clear another two million square metres bythe end this month.

According to company's statistics, the numberof forest and sugarcane fires is six to seven times higher this yearthat in previous years. This has caused big losses for sugarcane farmersin Ninh Hoa district of Khanh Hoa province.

Several big firesspread over thousands of square metres of sugarcane caused powerfailures on the 220kV-lines in Nha Trang-KrongBuk, said Phong.

The second major cause of fires is clearing land for slash-and-burn cultivation by ethnic minority people.

InApril, a forest fire broke out near the 500kV line of Play Ku – Di Linhpassed Lak district in Dak Lak province causing a three-hour blackoutfor some southern and Central Highlands provinces.

The Dak LakPeople's Committee has also asked authorities to protect the nationalgrid and told residents living near forests not to burn in hot weatherand not to plant trees under power lines.-VNA