Authority outlines measures to beef up fire alert systems

China's top forest and grassland fire prevention authority has recently issued a notice to bolster the construction of a fire warning and monitoring system, as the country enters the seasons of autumn and winter, which are high-risk periods for wildfires.

The notice was released by the National Forest and Grassland Fire Prevention and Control Command at the end of last month, according to a news release from the Ministry of Emergency Management on Tuesday.

The release said that the notice serves as a directive document for enhancing the forest and grassland fire warning and monitoring systems in the current and future periods.

According to the notice published on the command's official website, the system will rely on the existing national fire risk prediction and forecasting system, which is supported by the emergency management, forestry, grassland and meteorological departments.

It aims to integrate data collection, improve joint consultation and assessment, and promptly issue various forecasts and warnings.

The notice outlines 13 specific tasks and measures from the perspectives of the warning and monitoring systems, including real-time data sharing, dynamic and precise consultation and assessment and rapid response mechanisms.

Additionally, it provides a step-by-step implementation plan and a timeline for specific tasks, noting that over the next five years, a national warning and monitoring system on forest and grassland fires will be established at an early stage.

Simultaneously, a national forecast system on forest fire risk will be developed.

Routine grassland fire risk forecasting is required to be initiated, and the notice pointed out that this task has been completed this year.

Moreover, comprehensive monitoring stations for forest and grassland fire risk factors will be set up in key areas to establish a preliminary fire risk sensing network, according to the notice.

The fire risk consultation mechanism is also required to be optimized to enhance rolling assessments and short-term warning capabilities.

By 2025, mechanisms for data aggregation and information sharing at all levels will be established. In addition, fires caused by lightning strikes are a key focus, with the notice saying that by 2026, a lightning fire monitoring network will be established in key areas to improve monitoring and warning capabilities targeting the fire factor.

Notably, the notice aims to achieve a fusion of "top-down macro fire forecasting and broad-area monitoring with bottom-up short-term forecasting and real-time monitoring" by 2030.

Last Sunday, the China Meteorological Administration held a special meeting to analyze and assess the forest and grassland fire risk climate trends for autumn and winter, and to deploy next-phase meteorological services.

The meeting emphasized the need to fully utilize modern technologies such as satellite remote sensing and drone monitoring to strengthen rolling monitoring, forecasting and warning of forest and grassland fire risks in key areas and periods, according to a news release from the meteorological agency.

Additionally, it highlighted the importance of strengthening joint consultation and information sharing to ensure timely decision-making.

On Tuesday, the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council released a separate notice on further enhancing grassroots emergency management capabilities, which was published by Xinhua News Agency.

The notice called for promoting a shift in public safety governance toward preemptive prevention, further increasing the accuracy of warnings.

It also emphasized strengthening the construction of monitoring networks for natural disasters such as floods and mudslides, as well as safety production and fire safety risks.

The notice also suggested establishing a system of full-time or part-time information reporters to enhance data aggregation, sharing and comprehensive risk assessment.

It pointed out that local authorities should regularly conduct risk source identification and assessment, actively using advanced technologies such as the internet of things and big data to strengthen real-time risk monitoring in high-risk areas such as aging gas pipelines, bridges, tunnels and dangerous reservoirs, and to formulate safety prevention measures.