A total of 1,700 hectares of forest in the northern province of Lao Cai were destroyed by a wildfire that raged for a whole week before it was extinguished Monday, local officials said.
The fire at Hoang Lien National Park was completely put out on Monday morning thanks to the combined efforts of firefighters, the army and volunteers, officials said.
The fire started in Sa Pa District at around 1 p.m. on Monday the previous week. Due to the dry weather and strong winds, it soon spread to other areas in Lao Cai Province.
It then reached the Hoang Lien National Park, which is home to many rare and red-listed animal and plant species.
Around 1,500 people had to spend the Lunar New Year’s Eve at the park to prevent the fire from spreading further and save the forest, officials said.
No casualties have been reported so far. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.