Prevention and suppression of forest and grassland fires involve the safety of people’s lives and property, national ecological security and economic development, and it should be a key priority while novel coronavirus prevention and control efforts continue.

The instruction was issued recently by Premier Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

As most regions of China face pressure from forest and grassland fires in the spring, the Premier said, local governments should be on high alert to prevent serious and catastrophic fires.

Key regions should tighten monitoring and early warning of fires, identify and control potential ignition sources, and take timely precautions to eliminate hidden fire hazards, the Premier said.

Effective fire protection requires a more effective command and coordination system with enhanced drills and department coordination, the Premier added.

State Councilor Wang Yong, speaking at a teleconference on March 10, stressed steady work in fire prevention for forests and grasslands, and called for efforts to prevent all kinds of major disasters and accidents amid the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Wang is also head of the national headquarters for forest and grassland fire prevention and control.

"We are in a critical period of high risk for forest and grassland fires," Wang said.

He called for local authorities and related departments to implement measures rolled out by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and make coordinated efforts in epidemic control and forest and grassland fire prevention.

He stressed efforts to carry out campaigns on fire sources management in the wild, improve emergency plans for key regions and times, and raise rescue and fire-fighting ability.

Also, safety measures for work resumption should be strictly implemented, he added.