According to the report by Bouaket (1999) the main causes of forest fire in Laos PDR are slash-and-burn cultivation practices without firebreaks, and traditional hunting practises used to drive out animals. It is estimated that 90 percent of the forest fires originate from slash-and-burn cultivation practices of upland farmers and lead to widespread land degradation. No reliable statistics are available. There are no appropriate methods available for forest fire control. The government also lacks forest fire control equipment. It is particularly difficult to find suitable methods to control fire in mountainous and less inaccessible area. In order to prevent and control wildfires the following measures have to be taken, (1) provision of sustainable land-use practices and job opportunities for shifting cultivators, (b) motivation of the shifting cultivators about how to prevent, detect and control fires, (c) establishment of standard working groups and the coordination of regional fire control organizations or other government agencies, (d) preparation of materials and guidelines for forest fire prevention and suppression.
