The fire broke out on the afternoon of July 6 in a forest of pine and acacia in Chau Loc commune in the Hau Loc district of Thanh Hoa province. It was in a difficult to access location with hilly terrain and rapidly spread to surrounding areas due to the hot and dry weather.

The blaze continued to grow late into the evening of July 6.

The heat wave affecting the north and central region began on June 30 and is forecast to end on July 7. Temperatures in Thanh Hoa province have hovered around 38 degrees Celsius, even exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in Thanh Hoa City and Tinh Gia district.