March 18, 2024
PHNOM PENH – Kampot authorities have extinguished a wildfire which broke out in the Preah Monivong Bokor National Park on March 16. A working group is assessing the extent of damage to natural resources and investigating the cause of the fire.
Kampot provincial Department of Environment director Eng Polo said on March 17 that the fire had broken out near O’Mal Waterfall in Ou Touch village, Andong Khmer commune, Kampot town.
He added that in collaboration with local authorities, residents and village security guards, the department’s rangers had almost completely extinguished the flames by 6am on March 17, preventing it from spreading to people’s homes.
“We were able to put it out by the early hours of March 17. Specialists are now carefully inspecting the site,” he continued.
The department called on all residents living near the national park to exercise extreme caution during the dry season, noting that when conditions are dry, fires can easily spread.
Under article 60 of the law on protected areas, anyone who causes a forest fire, even through neglect, shall be punished for committing a natural resource crime. They will face up to one year in prison, and fines of up to 15 million riel ($3,750).
In a report, the , Andong Khmer commune police said that the fire had burned through over 40ha of forest and damaged a dozen mango trees and over 100 banana trees.
A statement from the Kampot provincial police said that its firefighters were always standing by to tackle forest fires, and prevent them from spreading.
“The fire spread quickly due to the dry conditions, and the forests are less accessible to our fire engines, but we were ready to protect the houses of the residents at the foot of the mountain,” it added.
Heng Kimhong, president of the Cambodian Youth Network (CYN) warned that unfortunately, wild fires are common during the dry season, so people need to increase their vigilance.
“Local authorities should ensure sufficient water is available to fight any fires which break out, as the trees and grass are like tinder at this time of year. Members of the public must be prepared to follow the instructions of the local authorities,” he said.
In a January 12 joint notice, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries advised sub-national administrations, the departments of agriculture and environment, forest communities, community protected areas, fishing communities and agricultural communities to implement precautionary measures.
The notice explained that every year, extreme weather in Cambodia can cause wildfires. Worryingly, human activity is often the cause.
“Some of the frequent causes of these fires are people clearing land to grow crops or drive animals into traps,” it added.
The two ministries noted that the fires are responsible for the loss of natural resources, and have a high financial and economic cost.