Ministry warns of rise in fire-risk areas

China faces a "severe and complex" situation in forest and grassland fire prevention and control this spring due to generally higher temperatures and lower precipitation, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Friday, which marked the International Day of Forests.

This assessment was reached by the national headquarters of forest and grassland fire prevention and control, said Shen Zhanli, the ministry's spokeswoman, at a news conference.

She emphasized that drought conditions might persist and expand in some regions, leading to an increase in high fire-risk areas.

At the news conference, the ministry revealed that over the past 30 years, the forest fire occurred less frequently in China, but it also reminded the public of remaining vigilant against forest fire risks, especially during the spring when dry and windy conditions are frequent.

With the holiday of Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, approaching in early April, it usually sees increased use of fire for rituals and outdoor cooking.

Yang Xudong, director for fire prevention and control at the ministry, noted that from 1950 to 1989, the average annual number of forest fires was around 16,000. "This figure dropped to about 6,000 per year from 1990 to 2020," he said.

"Since 2021, the number has remained in the thousands," he added. "These statistics reflect a significant decline in the number of forest fires in our country."

He pointed out that the causes of fires can be divided into natural and human factors, releasing that over 90 percent of forest and grassland fires are caused by human activities, such as agricultural work, ritual fires, or discarded cigarette butts.

However, in recent years, the proportion of forest and grassland fires caused by lightning strikes has been increasing, he said.

"In 2024, there were 113 lightning-induced fires, accounting for 38.7 percent of the total number of forest and grassland fires, which requires our heightened attention and vigilance," he noted.

Sun Long, dean of the school of forestry at the Northeast Forestry University in Heilongjiang province, called for the public to be particularly mindful of agricultural fires conducted near forest and grassland areas.

Before conducting agricultural burning, the public should obtain the necessary approvals from local authorities, he said at the media briefing.

"Also, it's important to clear combustible materials at the edges of nearby forests and grasslands to create a firebreak in advance," he said.