Ministry warns of forest, grassland fires this spring

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. However, it 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."

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

Yang also pointed out that over 90 percent of forest and grassland fires were caused by human activities, such as agricultural work, ritual fires, or discarded cigarette butts.

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

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