Fire risks are especially high in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, which have seen sparse rainfall, high temperatures and low humidity in recent months.

Department head Ha Cong Tuan said the highest fire risks were in the provinces of An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Kon Tum.

“If fires break out in these areas, they will spread very fast and it will be extremely difficult to get the blazes under control,” said Tuan.

The department has raised the fire risk to Level 5, the highest, in the six provinces of An Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Son La. Twelve other provinces, including Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Hoa Binh and Lang Son, have also received warnings about the high risk of forest fires.

Tuan blamed El Nino weather patterns for causing prolonged dry weather and raising average temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees across the country.

“The problem is compounded by lower rainfall,” said Tuan, adding that more than 70 percent of forest fires occur because people practice slash-and - burn farming.

Dry conditions have also plagued the north. On Sunday, the water level of the Red River in the Hanoi area reached its lowest recorded level, at 0.1 metres.

More than 2,000 ha of forest in U Minh Ha National Park in the southernmost province of Ca Mau were put on a high fire alert. Another 1,000ha will also be on red alert if dry conditions continue for another week.

In the northern province of Vinh Phuc, where dry weather has hit the hardest, nearly 7,000ha of rice fields are withering from a lack of water.

Deputy Director of the HCM City Fire Service Le Tan Buu warned against underestimating the rising risk of fires in HCM City , despite a slight drop in the number of fires to break out in the city last year.

“Fire prevention is a top priority and the HCM City Fire Service has asked the Sai Gon Water Supply Corporation to build and upgrade water supply facilities to improve fire fighting,” said Buu.

There is still a shortage of such facilities, he warned.