With valuable special-use forests in Cuc Phuong National Park and the scenic complex of Trang An, Ninh Binh is likened to the giant "green lung" of the southern Red River Delta region. However, behind this vast greenery lies a silent and fierce battle against "fire enemies," especially in the rugged limestone mountain areas whenever the dry season arrives.

Unlike many localities with planted forests on soil hills, the forests in Ninh Binh have a very unique characteristic: most of the area consists of natural forests growing on limestone mountains. This is not only a unique scenic beauty but also the most challenging problem in forest fire prevention and fighting.

The biggest challenge in fighting forest fires on rocky mountains is accessibility. When an incident occurs at high altitudes, modern fire trucks are almost helpless because they cannot climb steep slopes, and water hoses cannot reach the treetops. Moreover, rock caves create a 'chimney' effect, drawing strong winds that cause the fire to spread rapidly, posing extreme danger to the approaching forces.  

In 'hotspot' areas such as Nho Quan, Hoa Lu districts, or Tam Diep city, the terrain is heavily fragmented by sharp limestone ridges with steep slopes. During the dry season (usually lasting from November to April), the forest floor (dry grass, fallen leaves) becomes dense, and even a tiny ember can trigger a large fire.  

Besides harsh natural factors, the pressure to protect forests in Ninh Binh also comes from tourism development and human lifestyle habits.

The Hoa Lư – Tràng An special-use forest area and Cuc Phuong Forest always attract a large number of tourists. The risk of fire due to carelessness in using fire while camping, smoking, or burning votive papers in spiritual areas near the forest is always present.  

In addition, the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, clearing vegetation after harvesting, or smoking to extract honey by some local people living near the forest (especially in the buffer zone of Cuc Phuong National Park) remains a potential hazard, causing the forest fire forecast level here to frequently reach Level IV (dangerous) and Level V (extremely dangerous) on peak hot days.

Clearly identifying the specific difficulties, the Ninh Binh Forest Protection Department and forest owners have changed the status from "waiting for the fire to be cured" to "proactively preventing from the root". In 2025, the Ninh Binh Forest Protection Department has coordinated with Forestry Information System Joint Stock Company (FIS) to implement solutions to minimize the risk of forest fires. One of those solutions is to install automatic forest fire forecast level signs in the province, based on warning levels to warn early areas and areas that are likely to occur forest fires based on humidity, temperature and rainfall in the area.