A small fire in the chemical store of an FDI factory in Long An is put out by the on-site team in 10 minutes, with no injuries. The operations director asks: now that we handled it ourselves, must we notify anyone – and how fast? The answer decides whether the enterprise is treated as concealing a fire incident.
Applicable Legal Framework
Fire notification duties sit in the Law on Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue 55/2024/QH15: anyone discovering a fire must report it immediately to the Fire Police via 114 or the nearest police authority; the head of the facility where the fire occurs must organise firefighting, notify the managing police authority and protect the scene for cause investigation. Decree 105/2025/ND-CP (amended by Decree 347/2026/ND-CP) guides fire and explosion information and reporting in fire management.
In parallel with the State channel, the enterprise must notify its insurer (where the facility is under compulsory fire and explosion insurance per the Decree 105/2025/ND-CP list) within the policy period, and the park management board under park safety coordination. The channels are independent – notifying one does not replace the others.
Detailed Answers to Practical Questions
How quickly must a fire or explosion be notified?
Immediately, with no grace period: when fire breaks out, call 114 and organise firefighting and rescue first; once the incident is controlled, the facility reports in writing to the local fire-managing police authority on the course of events, damage, preliminary cause and remediation under the fire reporting regime. Delaying notification to ‘handle it first, report later’ is sanctioned conduct and destroys scene evidence for investigation.
Which authorities must be notified?
Three points: (1) the Fire Police via 114 for firefighting and rescue deployment; (2) the police authority managing fire safety in the locality, which records the incident, investigates the cause and guides remediation – the formal post-incident reporting point; (3) the park management board (for in-park facilities) under park safety coordination, and the insurer where fire insurance exists. Where people are injured, the labour channel also applies: workplace accident declaration under the OSH Law 84/2015/QH13.
A small fire we extinguished ourselves – must it be reported?
Yes – it must still be recorded and reported under the fire information regime: every fire at a facility under fire management is management data, whatever its scale. Correct practice: draw an internal incident minute right after the event and notify the fire-managing police authority (with the minute, photos, cause assessment and remediation). Staying silent because ‘it was small’ and being discovered through another channel (insurance, labour, complaints) is treated as failure to report and destroys compliance credibility.
What is the fine for not reporting a fire incident?
Failure to notify, late notification or false reporting of fires and explosions is fined under the current security, order and fire penalty system, rising with concealment and consequences; where late notice lets the fire spread and damage grow, the facility head’s liability is assessed more severely, including criminal liability where the elements of a fire-regulation offence are met. The fine is not the biggest risk – losing insurance coverage and standing in the cause investigation is.
Action Checklist
- Post the fire-notification procedure everywhere: call 114 – fight the fire – notify managing police – notify park board and insurer.
- Keep internal fire incident minute templates ready for completion right after an event.
- Train every production shift leader on notification duties – incidents usually happen outside office hours.
- Archive incident files: minutes, scene photos, cause investigation results, remediation evidence.
- Cross-check every fire incident against workplace accident declaration where anyone was injured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 114 call replace the written post-incident report?
No. The 114 call deploys firefighting and rescue forces; the written report to the fire-managing police records the incident and supports cause investigation. Do both.
A small explosion in the lab with no fire – reportable?
Explosions at facilities under fire management fall within fire and explosion information and reporting; if a worker was injured, the workplace accident declaration regime applies in addition.
Can compulsory fire insurance refuse to pay if notification was late?
Policies usually set loss-notification deadlines; late or missing notification can reduce or void compensation under policy terms – the practical reason to notify immediately even for small incidents.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council